Damaging a cell’s genetic material
L-Asparaginase is a helpful chemotherapy agent, especially in the treatment of lymphatic cancers. Asparagine is an especially important amino acid for lymphatic cancer cells and asparaginase is able to destroy it in a way that hurts cancer cells only. However, chemotherapeutic drugs cannot distinguish between malignant cancer cells and normal cells. Individual drugs may work through many different mechanisms, such as damaging a cell’s genetic material or preventing the cell from dividing. Chemotherapy drugs attack cells in the process of prostate health growth and division. For cancers that are at high-risk for metastasis early in the course of disease, chemotherapy can be used after surgery or radiation therapy to help slow down the growth of cancer cells in other parts of the body.