carmustine + etoposide

Carmustine + etoposide is a combination of two chemotherapeutic agents used primarily as part of multi-drug regimens for conditioning prior to autologous stem cell transplantation, especially in the treatment of lymphomas. Carmustine is an alkylating agent that cross-links DNA and RNA, inhibiting DNA replication and transcription, leading to cell death. Etoposide is a topoisomerase II inhibitor that causes DNA strand breaks by preventing the re-ligation of double-stranded breaks induced by the enzyme during DNA replication. This combination may be used together with other agents (such as cytarabine and melphalan in BEAM regimen) or with additional drugs depending on specific protocols[1][3][6]. The primary indications are Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma[1].