Final answer:
Chemotherapeutic agents are selected based on their ability to target and kill disease-causing cells or inhibit their growth without excessive damage to healthy cells. The use of targeted therapies has become an effective form of treatment due to its specificity for certain cancer types.
Step-by-step explanation:
The choice of chemotherapeutic agents is generally influenced by their mechanisms of action, which involve either killing the cells (bactericidal) or inhibiting their growth (bacteriostatic). For cancer treatment, chemo drugs can be classified based on their mechanism of action, such as those that stop the synthesis of pre-DNA molecule building blocks.
Chemotherapeutic agents work by targeting specific pathways or processes in the disease-causing organisms or cancer cells. The efficacy of an agent against an organism is largely dependent on its ability to reach and affect the target without causing excessive damage to healthy cells. Supportive care practices, such as hydration, nutrition, and symptom management, are also crucial for patient care during chemotherapy.
Different types of chemotherapy include targeted therapies, which are designed to target specific molecules within cancer cells, reducing side effects as compared to traditional chemotherapy, which targets all rapidly dividing cells, including healthy ones. This precision makes targeted therapies an effective form of treatment for certain types of cancers, such as breast cancer or melanoma.