Are antibiotics used as chemotherapeutic agents the same as those used for treating infections?

Antibiotics used as chemotherapeutic agents are not the same as those used for treating infections. While both types of antibiotics aim to target bacteria, chemotherapeutic agents refer specifically to substances used in cancer treatment and may include antibiotics that have an anti-cancer effect, such as doxorubicin and mitomycin, which can inhibit the growth of certain neoplastic cells rather than common microbial infections.

The antibiotics prescribed for infections, such as penicillin or amoxicillin, are typically aimed directly at specific pathogens to eliminate bacteria responsible for infections in the body. In contrast, the antibiotics that serve as chemotherapeutic agents may have mechanisms that don't apply to typical bacterial infections, focusing instead on the mechanisms of cancer cell proliferation.

This distinction is crucial in pharmacology and therapeutics, as the therapeutic goals and actions for each class differ significantly despite some overlap in the use of the antibiotic class.