carboplatin + gemcitabine + capecitabine

A three-drug chemotherapy regimen combining the platinum agent carboplatin, the nucleoside analog gemcitabine, and the oral prodrug of 5‑fluorouracil capecitabine. Mechanistically, carboplatin forms DNA intra- and interstrand crosslinks that inhibit DNA replication and transcription leading to apoptosis; gemcitabine is phosphorylated intracellularly to active diphosphate and triphosphate metabolites that inhibit ribonucleotide reductase and are incorporated into DNA causing chain termination; capecitabine is converted to 5‑fluorouracil, which inhibits thymidylate synthase and is incorporated into RNA and DNA, impairing nucleic acid synthesis. This combination has been studied in carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP), showing objective responses in a phase II trial with a 21‑day cycle schedule of carboplatin (AUC 5, day 1), gemcitabine (1000 mg/m2, days 1 and 8), and capecitabine (1600 mg/m2/day orally in divided doses, days 1–14). The regimen is investigational as a specific triple combination; its components are approved anticancer drugs and are also used in other doublet regimens such as GemCarbo (gemcitabine + carboplatin) and GemCap (gemcitabine + capecitabine).[1][4][5]

Other names

carboplatin gemcitabine capecitabine combinationcarboplatin plus gemcitabine plus capecitabinecarboplatin/gemcitabine/capecitabinetriple regimen of carboplatin gemcitabine capecitabine