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Chemoprotectants

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Synonyms

Chemoprevention; Chemoprotection

Definition

Chemoprotectants are natural or synthetic chemical compounds which exhibit the ability to ameliorate, mimic, or inhibit the toxic or adverse effects of structurally different chemotherapeutic agents, radiation therapy, cytotoxic drugs, or naturally occurring toxins, without compromising the anticancer or antitumor potential of the chemotherapeutic drugs. Chemoprotectants should not affect the therapeutic efficacy of the chemotherapeutic agents, radiation, or drugs; disrupt the serum enzyme levels; or induce significant injury to the tissues/organs. These chemoprotectants include anticancer, antitumor, antiangiogenic, and antioxidant compounds and used as an adjuvant in cancer chemotherapy.

Characteristics

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer accounts for 7.6 million (or 13%) of all deaths in 2005, and the incidence of cancer is expected to rise with an estimated 9 and 11.4 million deaths from cancer in 2015 and...

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References

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© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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(2011). Chemoprotectants. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_1071

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