This is a list of chemotherapeutic agents, also known as cytotoxic agents, that are known to be of use in chemotherapy for cancer. This list is organized by type of agent, although the subsections

 are not necessarily definitive and are subject to revision. Each drug is listed once (at present), though it might fall in more than one subsection. A full alphabetical listing is included after the categorical listing. The agents in this list are often combined into chemotherapy agent for polychemotherapy (combination chemotherapy). For example, the CHOP regimen consists of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone. Besides chemotherapy, medical oncology (pharmacotherapy for cancer) includes several noncytotoxic classes of therapy, such as hormonal therapy and targeted therapy (biologic therapy). Those agents are described in the relevant articles. The era of cancer chemotherapy began in the 1940s with the first use of nitrogen mustards and folic acid antagonist drugs. The targeted therapy revolution has arrived, but many of the principles and limitations of chemotherapy discovered by the early researchers still apply