Mitomycin C: mechanism of action, usefulness and limitations.
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Verweij J, Pinedo HM
Mitomycin C: mechanism of action, usefulness and limitations.
Anticancer Drugs. 1990 Oct;1(1):5-13.
- PubMed ID
- 2131038 [ View in PubMed]
- Abstract
The mitomycins are antitumor antibiotics that are under investigation now for more than 30 years. Mitomycin C (MMC) is the best investigated subtype. It serves as a prototype for drugs with bioreductive alkylation, which is a unique feature of this class. MMC is mainly active under anaerobic circumstances. The pharmacokinetics are linear in a two-compartment model. The main toxicities of MMC are thrombocytopenia and leucocytopenia. Rare but severe side effects are a hemolytic uremic syndrome, pneumonitis and cardiac failure. MMC has a wide clinical antitumor spectrum with efficacy in various tumor types such as gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer and bladder cancer. Still, the above mentioned side effects prevent a more widespread use. The most important features of the drug will be reviewed.