Chemoprevention: An Overview of Pharmacologic Agents and Nursing Considerations

Cancer chemoprevention involves the use of synthetic and biologic agents as targeted therapies for disease prevention, reduction, or suppression. Mechanisms of blocking or suppressing cancer-related pathways include processes of carcinogenesis, chronic inflammatory responses, DNA modulation, and signal transduction. This column provides an update on pharmacologic agents and nursing considerations for chemoprevention.