Chemical Comparison Table

(For information about other plant chemicals with anticancer activity, look at the Table of Other Anticancer Botanicals.)

Compound Name Common Aliases Trademark Aliases FDA OK'd? Chemical Type Used to
Treat Activity Derivatives

betulinic acid none none yet in preclinical development pentacyclic triterpene malignant melanoma melanoma-specific cytotoxin none yet

camptothecin CPT none yet in clinical trials alkaloid breast, colon cancers; melanoma; leukemia DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor aminocamptothecin (9-AC), CPT-11, DX-8951f, irinotecan hydrochloride

colchicine none ColBenemid yes, for gout (not chemo) alkaloid animal cancers, gout inhibits mitosis n/a

docetaxel n/a Taxotere in clinical trials taxoid (diterpenoid) being tested on bladder, cervical, lung, ovarian cancer, melanoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma inhibits microtubule disassembly none yet (it's derived from paclitaxel)

etoposide VP-16 VePesid yes glucoside testicular, small-cell lung cancer cytotoxin it's derived from podophyllotoxin

paclitaxel TAX Taxol yes taxoid (diterpenoid) bladder, esophageal, lung cancers, etc.; possibly leukemia & lymphoma inhibits microtubule disassembly none yet

podophyllotoxin podophyllinic acid lactone, podofilox Condyline, Condylox,
Martec, Warticon yes glucoside human papillomavirus infection cytotoxin etoposide, podophyllinic acid, teniposide

tetrahydrocannabinol
THC, dronabinol Marinol yes, as antiemetic cannibanoid
(FDA lists as hallucinogen) chemo-related nausea; glaucoma inhibits nerve impulse that cause nausea none

topotecan TOPO, TPT, hycamptamine Hycamptin yes, as of 5/29/96 alkaloid advanced ovarian cancer DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor it's derived from camptothecin

vinblastine VLB Exal,Velban, Velbe, Velsar yes alkaloid Hodgkin's disease, lymphocytic & histiocytic lymphoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, breast & testicular carcinomas inhibits mitosis vindesine

vincristine leurocristine, VCR Oncovin, Vincasar PES, Kyocristine, Vincosid, Vincrex yes alkaloid acute leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, rhabdomyosarcoma, neuroblastoma, Wilm's tumor inhibits mitosis n/a

vindesine n/a Eldisine, Fildesin yes alkaloid malignant melanoma, lung carcinoma, uterine squamous cell carcinomas inhibits mitosis It's derived from vinblastine

If some of the terms in this table are unfamiliar to you, try looking them up in BioTech's online dictionary:

Reference:

Budavari, Susan, ed. 1989. The Merck Index: An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs and Biologicals. Rahway, NJ, Merck & Co.

1995 Physician's Desk Reference ©. Montvale, NJ, Medical Economics Data Production Company.

URL: http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/botany/chemtab.html
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This page was last updated 7/21/98.

Compound Name	Common Aliases	Trademark Aliases	FDA OK'd?	Chemical Type	Used to Treat	Activity	Derivatives
betulinic acid	none	none yet	in preclinical development	pentacyclic triterpene	malignant melanoma	melanoma-specific cytotoxin	none yet
camptothecin	CPT	none yet	in clinical trials	alkaloid	breast, colon cancers; melanoma; leukemia	DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor	aminocamptothecin (9-AC), CPT-11, DX-8951f, irinotecan hydrochloride
colchicine	none	ColBenemid	yes, for gout (not chemo)	alkaloid	animal cancers, gout	inhibits mitosis	n/a
docetaxel	n/a	Taxotere	in clinical trials	taxoid (diterpenoid)	being tested on bladder, cervical, lung, ovarian cancer, melanoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma	inhibits microtubule disassembly	none yet (it's derived from paclitaxel)
etoposide	VP-16	VePesid	yes	glucoside	testicular, small-cell lung cancer	cytotoxin	it's derived from podophyllotoxin
paclitaxel	TAX	Taxol	yes	taxoid (diterpenoid)	bladder, esophageal, lung cancers, etc.; possibly leukemia & lymphoma	inhibits microtubule disassembly	none yet
podophyllotoxin	podophyllinic acid lactone, podofilox	Condyline, Condylox, Martec, Warticon	yes	glucoside	human papillomavirus infection	cytotoxin	etoposide, podophyllinic acid, teniposide
tetrahydrocannabinol	THC, dronabinol	Marinol	yes, as antiemetic	cannibanoid (FDA lists as hallucinogen)	chemo-related nausea; glaucoma	inhibits nerve impulse that cause nausea	none
topotecan	TOPO, TPT, hycamptamine	Hycamptin	yes, as of 5/29/96	alkaloid	advanced ovarian cancer	DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor	it's derived from camptothecin
vinblastine	VLB	Exal,Velban, Velbe, Velsar	yes	alkaloid	Hodgkin's disease, lymphocytic & histiocytic lymphoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, breast & testicular carcinomas	inhibits mitosis	vindesine
vincristine	leurocristine, VCR	Oncovin, Vincasar PES, Kyocristine, Vincosid, Vincrex	yes	alkaloid	acute leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, rhabdomyosarcoma, neuroblastoma, Wilm's tumor	inhibits mitosis	n/a
vindesine	n/a	Eldisine, Fildesin	yes	alkaloid	malignant melanoma, lung carcinoma, uterine squamous cell carcinomas	inhibits mitosis	It's derived from vinblastine