Is Thiotepa a targeted drug or a traditional chemotherapy drug?

Thiotepa (Thiotepa) is a classic anti-cancer drug. It is not a targeted drug, but a traditional chemotherapy drug. It belongs to the alkylating agent class and prevents the replication and division of DNA in cancer cells by forming covalent cross-links between DNA chains. This mechanism acts on rapidly dividing cells, so it not only kills tumor cells, but also has a certain impact on normal, rapidly dividing cells. It is a typical non-selective chemotherapy drug.

Different from targeted drugs, targeted therapy mainly targets abnormal genes, proteins or signaling pathways in tumor cells to precisely inhibit them without broadly affecting normal cells. The mechanism of action of thiotepa lacks this selectivity. It mainly directly destroys DNA through chemical means. Therefore, common side effects include bone marrow suppression, hair loss, nausea, vomiting, etc., and the side effects are generally greater than those of targeted drugs.

Currently, thiotepa is mostly used in clinical pretreatment programs, such as removing residual tumor cells and suppressing immune responses before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (such as bone marrow transplantation). In addition, it is also used to treat some types of solid tumors and hematological malignancies such as leukemia and lymphoma. Although it has a long history, it still plays an important clinical role today.

In summary, thiotepa is a traditional chemotherapy drug that relies on broad-spectrum cytotoxicity to kill cancer cells rather than precisely targeting specific molecular targets. During treatment, attention should be paid to the rational use of dosage, and the patient's blood indicators and adverse reactions should be closely monitored to balance efficacy and toxicity. For patients who want a more personalized approach with lower side effects, they can consider whether new options such as targeted therapy or immunotherapy are suitable.

Reference materials:https://www.drugs.com/donanemab.html