Which metal compound is used for treatment of carcinoma?

Question

Which metal compound is used for treatment of carcinoma?

1. A. Platinum (Correct answer)
2. B. Chromium
3. C. Iron
4. D. Chlorine

Correct Answer

Option A — Platinum

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Platinum.

Key Points

• Platinum compounds are widely used in the treatment of carcinoma and other cancers.
• The best-known is cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II)), one of the most successful anti-cancer drugs ever developed, along with its later derivatives carboplatin and oxaliplatin.
• Cisplatin works by binding to the DNA of rapidly dividing cancer cells and forming cross-links between the strands.
• This distorts the DNA structure, blocks replication and transcription, and ultimately triggers apoptosis (programmed cell death).
• It is used against testicular, ovarian, bladder, lung, head and neck cancers.
• Its discovery was largely serendipitous — Barnett Rosenberg in the 1960s observed that platinum electrodes inhibited bacterial cell division, which led to the recognition of cisplatin's anti-tumour activity.

Exam Tip

• link this to the broader theme of metals in medicine — gold compounds in rheumatoid arthritis, lithium in bipolar disorder, and platinum in chemotherapy.

प्रश्न (हिन्दी में)

कार्सिनोमा के उपचार के लिए किस धातु यौगिक का उपयोग किया जाता है?

1. A. प्लेटिनम
2. B. क्रोमियम
3. C. आयरन
4. D. क्लोरीन