Hepatotoxicity of chemotherapeutic agents: current state of the problem

This review is devoted to the actual for the present day problem of the hepatotoxicity of chemotherapeutic agents. Liver is the most important organ essential for the maintaining of the body’s internal environment. For the present time there is observed the high level of the morbidity and mortality rate against the background of drug-induced liver lesions due to, in the first instance, the lack ofproper manner for the substitution of the liver function but transplantation. Liver deteriorations due to the administration of antitumor agents have no pathognomonic clinical or histological features that significantly embarrasses the execution of the differential diagnosis with liver disorders against the background of administration of other preparations, either associated with opportunistic infections or the progression of previously acquired pathology of the liver. In the article there is described the toxic influence on the liver of most often used in oncology chemotherapeutic agents - antimetabolites, alkylating agents, platinum compounds, epothilones, taxanes, vinca alkaloids, monoclonal antibodies, anthracycline antibiotics, topoisomerase and protein kinase inhibitors is described in this article. In the review there are summarized results of recent studies of etiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of chemotherapy induced hepatotoxicity. The special attention is given to recent discoveries in the area of pathogenesis of chemotherapy induced hepatotoxicity. However many moments remain to be still not studied completely, that offers perspectives for further research in this field.