ONS Chemotherapy Immunotherapy Certificate Practice Test

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is an antimetabolite that is commonly used in the treatment of various solid tumors, including breast cancer. This medication works by inhibiting DNA and RNA synthesis, which ultimately disrupts cancer cell growth and proliferation.

Its efficacy in treating solid tumors can be attributed to its mechanism of action as a pyrimidine analog. By mimicking uracil, it gets incorporated into RNA, affecting RNA function, and also interferes with DNA synthesis by inhibiting thymidylate synthase, which is critical for DNA replication and repair.

In addition to breast cancer, 5-FU is also used in the treatment of colorectal cancer and other malignancies. Its role in combination therapies is significant, where it can enhance the effectiveness of other chemotherapeutic agents, thereby improving overall treatment outcomes.

In contrast, the other agents listed serve different primary purposes or target different types of cancer. Cytarabine is primarily used for hematological malignancies, Azacitidine is used mainly in myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia, and Mitomycin C is often used in cases of bladder cancer or as part of combination regimens for other solid tumors but is not as specific to