What are cytostatic drugs?

The word cytostatic describes the way some anti cancer drugs work. Most drugs that are used to treat cancer kill the cancer cells. The word cytotoxic means toxic to cells, or cell killing. Chemotherapy is properly called cytotoxic therapy.

There are other treatments that do not kill cancer cells. They work by stopping the cancer cells from multiplying. So, they stop the cancer growing. For example, hormone therapies used to treat breast cancer could also be called cytostatic therapy. They work by blocking particular receptors of the cancer cells. Cancer cells continue to multiply because these receptors are triggered and the cell begins to divide into 2 new cells. So, by blocking them, the treatment is stopping the cancer from growing.

As we learn more about the way cancer cells are different from normal cells, it has been possible to try and target specific proteins in cancer cells. The aim is to create more effective treatments that have fewer side effects. Many of these new targeted anti cancer drugs don't kill the cancer cells but, like tamoxifen stop them from growing.

You can find out more about the different types of cancer treatment in our about cancer section.