- nitrosourea
- Alkylating agent used in the treatment of many neoplasms; an example is BCNU [N,N′-bis(2-chloroethyl)-N-n.; carmustine].
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ni·tro·so·urea -yu̇-'rē-ə n any of a group of lipid-soluble drugs that function as alkylating agents, have the ability to enter the central nervous system, and are effective in the treatment of some brain tumors and meningeal leukemias* * *
ni·tro·so·urea (ni-tro″so-uґre-ə) any of several chemically related antineoplastic agents including carmustine, lomustine, semustine, and the antibiotic streptozocin. Carmustine, lomustine, and semustine are closely related chemically, are highly lipid-soluble, cross the blood-brain barrier, and are used against brain tumors; they act by alkylation, carbamoylation, and inhibition of DNA repair; they are not cross-resistant with other alkylating agents and are highly effective against resting (G0) cells; the major side effect is dose-limiting bone marrow suppression. Streptozocin differs from the others in that it is not cross-resistant with them, is not myelosuppressive, and does not act by carbamoylation.
Medical dictionary. 2011.