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Chemotherapeutic agent

chemotherapeutic agents are those medications that are used to treat various forms of cancer. These medications are given in a particular regimen over a period of weeks. most chemotherapeutic medications have the ability to directly kill cancer cells. For this same reason, these medications can suppress the bone marrow to some degree, lowering white blood cell counts. This results in a condition known as immunosuppression and can place the patient at an increased risk of infection.

Examples include busulphan, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, daunorubicin, doxorubicin, melphalan, vincristine, vinblastine and chlorambucil.

See: immunosuppressive agents.