Stockholder Protection Rights Plan (Details)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015 Right $ / shares
Stockholder Protection Rights Plan [Abstract]
Number of right for each outstanding share \| Right	1
Proportion of right entitles to purchase series A preferred stock	1/10,000th
Rights exercise price (in dollars per share) \| $ / shares	$ 30
Number of business days after announcement rights are not exercisable for certain persons	10 days
Beneficial ownership percentage of company outstanding shares of common stock by acquiring person	15.00%
Percentage of company outstanding shares of common stock by acquiring person	50.00%

Beneficial ownership percentage of company outstanding shares of common stock by acquiring person.

No definition available.

Name:	cytr_BeneficialOwnershipPercentageOfCompanyOutstandingSharesOfCommonStockByAcquiringPerson
Namespace Prefix:	cytr_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The Rights are generally not exercisable for certain business days after an announcement by the Company that a person or group of affiliated persons (an "Acquiring Person") has acquired certain beneficial ownership.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cytr_NumberOfBusinessDaysAfterAnnouncementRightsAreNotExercisableForCertainPersons
Namespace Prefix:	cytr_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Directors declared a distribution of certain right ("Rights") for each outstanding share of the Company's common stock to stockholders of record at the close of business.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cytr_NumberOfRightForEachOutstandingShare
Namespace Prefix:	cytr_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of company outstanding shares of common stock by acquiring person.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cytr_PercentageOfCompanyOutstandingSharesOfCommonStockByAcquiringPerson
Namespace Prefix:	cytr_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company on certain proportion of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cytr_ProportionOfRightEntitlesToPurchaseSeriesPreferredStock
Namespace Prefix:	cytr_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cytr_StockholderProtectionRightsPlanAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	cytr_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Exercise price per share or per unit of warrants or rights outstanding.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(i)(4))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightExercisePriceOfWarrantsOrRights1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant