Abstract
Irinotecan is a semisynthetic derivative of camptothecin ? an alkaloid isolated from the tree Camptotheca acuminata that grows in the wild in China. Chemically it is a 7-ethyl-10-(4piperidino)-1piperidino-carboxycamptotecin (CPT-11).
The main effect of irinotecan is the inhibition of topoisomerase I. Its antitumoral effects were proven and clinically tested in many tumors; it has won recognition especially in the treatment of colorectal carcinoma.
In the Czech Republic it is available under the trade name Campto.