• A type of drug that is used in the treatment of cancer. It interferes with the cell's DNA and inhibits cancer cell growth.
  NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
  U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
• Agents that replace hydrogen atom(s) in biologically active molecules with alky radical(s), hindering proper function. Alkylating agents exhibit cytotoxic effects through the alkylation of DNA, resulting in strand cross-linking, ultimately inhibiting DNA replication and cell growth.
  NCI Thesaurus
  U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
• Chemical agent that can add alkyl groups (for example, ethyl or methyl groups) to another molecule; many mutagens act through alkylation.
  CRISP Thesaurus
  National Institutes of Health, 2006
• Highly reactive chemicals that introduce alkyl radicals into biologically active molecules and thereby prevent their proper functioning. Many are used as antineoplastic agents, but most are very toxic, with carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, and immunosuppressant actions. They have also been used as components in poison gases.
  NLM Medical Subject Headings
  U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021