Estramustine is an antineoplastic agent indicated in the palliative treatment of patients with metastatic and/or progressive carcinoma of the prostate. Estramustine is a combination of estradiol with nitrogen mustard. In vivo, the nitrogen-mustard moiety becomes active and participates in alkylation of DNA or other cellular components. This causes DNA damage in rapidly dividing cancerous cells leading to cell death and ideally, tumor shrinkage. Also, due to the drugs estrogen component, it can bind more selectively to active estrogen receptors. Used for the palliative treatment of patients with metastatic and/or progressive carcinoma of the prostate.

Carmustine is a cancer medication that interferes with the growth and spread of cancer cells in the body. Carmustine is used to treat brain tumors, Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Although it is generally agreed that carmustine alkylates DNA and RNA, it is not cross-resistant with other alkylators. As with other nitrosoureas, it may also inhibit several key enzymatic processes by carbamoylation of amino acids in proteins. Pulmonary toxicity characterized by pulmonary infiltrates and/or fibrosis has been reported to occur from 9 days to 43 months after treatment with BiCNU and related nitrosoureas. A frequent and serious toxicity of BiCNU is delayed myelosuppression. Nausea and vomiting after intravenous administration of BiCNU are noted frequently. Greater myelotoxicity (e.g., leukopenia and neutropenia) has been reported when carmustine was combined with cimetidine.

Vincristine is a vinca alkaloid antineoplastic agent used as a treatment for various cancers including breast cancer, Hodgkin's disease, Kaposi's sarcoma, and testicular cancer. The vinca alkaloids are structurally similar compounds comprised of 2 multiringed units, vindoline and catharanthine. The vinca alkaloids have become clinically useful since the discovery of their antitumour properties in 1959. Initially, extracts of the periwinkle plant (Catharanthus roseus) were investigated because of putative hypoglycemic properties, but were noted to cause marrow suppression in rats and antileukemic effects in vitro. Vincristine binds to the microtubular proteins of the mitotic spindle, leading to crystallization of the microtubule and mitotic arrest or cell death. Vincristine has some immunosuppressant effect. The vinca alkaloids are considered to be cell cycle phase-specific. The antitumor activity of Vincristine is thought to be due primarily to inhibition of mitosis at metaphase through its interaction with tubulin. Like other vinca alkaloids, Vincristine may also interfere with: 1) amino acid, cyclic AMP, and glutathione metabolism, 2) calmodulin-dependent Ca2+-transport ATPase activity, 3) cellular respiration, and 4) nucleic acid and lipid biosynthesis.Vincristine was marketed under the brand name Oncovin, but was discontinued. In 2012 the FDA approved a Liposomal formulation of Vincristine, named MARQIBO KIT.

N,N’N’-triethylenethiophosphoramide (ThioTEPA) is a cancer chemotherapeutic member of the alkylating agent group, now in use for over 50 years. It is a stable derivative of N,N’,N’’- triethylenephosphoramide (TEPA). The radiomimetic action of thiotepa is believed to occur through the release of ethylenimine radicals which, like irradiation, disrupt the bonds of DNA. One of the principal bond disruptions is initiated by alkylation of guanine at the N-7 position, which severs the linkage between the purine base and the sugar and liberates alkylated guanines. Thiotepa has been used in the palliation of a wide variety of neoplastic diseases. The more consistent results have been seen in: adenocarcinoma of the breast, adenocarcinoma of the ovary, superficial papillary carcinoma of the urinary bladder and for controlling intracavitary effusions secondary to diffuse or localized neoplastic diseases of various serosal cavities.

Busulfan is a bifunctional alkylating agent, having a selective immunosuppressive effect on bone marrow. It has been used in the palliative treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (myeloid leukemia, chronic). Most common adverse reactions (incidence greater than 60%) were: myelosuppression, nausea, stomatitis, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea, insomnia, fever, hypomagnesemia, abdominal pain, anxiety, headache, hyperglycemia and hypokalemia. Itraconazole and acetaminophen can decrease busulfan clearance. Phenytoin increases hepatic clearance of busulfan.

Mechlorethamine also known as mustine, brand name MUSTARGEN administered intravenously is the prototype anticancer chemotherapeutic drug, is indicated for the palliative treatment of Hodgkin's disease (Stages III and IV), lymphosarcoma, chronic myelocytic or chronic lymphocytic leukemia, polycythemia vera, mycosis fungoides, and bronchogenic carcinoma. In 2013 was approved orphan drug Valchlor (mechlorethamine) gel for the topical treatment of stage IA and IB mycosis fungoides-type cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) in patients who have received prior skin-directed therapy. Mechlorethamine belongs to the group of nitrogen mustard alkylating agents. Alkylating agents work by three different mechanisms: attachment of alkyl groups to DNA bases, resulting in the DNA being fragmented by repair enzymes in their attempts to replace the alkylated bases, 2) DNA damage via the formation of cross-links (bonds between atoms in the DNA) which prevents DNA from being separated for synthesis or transcription, and 3) the induction of mispairing of the nucleotides leading to mutations all of which achieve the same end result - disruption of DNA function and cell death.