carboplatin + etoposide + melphalan

This is a chemotherapy combination regimen consisting of three drugs: carboplatin, etoposide (or its phosphate form), and melphalan (or its hydrochloride form). Each drug is an FDA-approved chemotherapeutic agent. The combination, often referred to as "CEM," is primarily used in the treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma in children, especially as a preparative regimen before autologous stem cell transplantation. It may also be used for other cancers such as high-risk Wilms' tumor and pediatric germ cell tumors. Carboplatin and etoposide are both DNA-damaging agents that interfere with DNA replication and repair; melphalan is an alkylating agent that cross-links DNA strands, inhibiting DNA synthesis and function. The rationale for combining these agents is to exploit their different mechanisms of action to maximize cancer cell kill while minimizing resistance[1][3][4][6][8].

Other names

CEMcarboplatin/etoposide/melphalan regimen