VINORELBINE IS A VINCA ALKALOID THAT INTERFERES WITH MICROTUBULE ASSEMBLY. THE VINCA ALKALOIDS ARE STRUCTURALLY SIMILAR COMPOUNDS COMPRISED OF 2 MULTIRINGED UNITS, VINDOLINE AND CATHARANTHINE. UNLIKE OTHER VINCA ALKALOIDS, THE CATHARANTHINE UNIT IS THE SITE OF STRUCTURAL MODIFICATION FOR VINORELBINE. THE ANTITUMOR ACTIVITY OF VINORELBINE IS THOUGHT TO BE DUE PRIMARILY TO INHIBITION OF MITOSIS AT METAPHASE THROUGH ITS INTERACTION WITH TUBULIN. LIKE OTHER VINCA ALKALOIDS, VINORELBINE MAY ALSO INTERFERE WITH: 1) AMINO ACID, CYCLIC AMP, AND GLUTATHIONE METABOLISM, 2) CALMODULIN-DEPENDENT CA ++ -TRANSPORT ATPASE ACTIVITY, 3) CELLULAR RESPIRATION, AND 4) NUCLEIC ACID AND LIPID BIOSYNTHESIS.