cyclophosphamide + etoposide + vincristine

This is a combination chemotherapy regimen consisting of three cytotoxic agents—cyclophosphamide, etoposide, and vincristine. Each drug has a distinct mechanism of action targeting cancer cells: - **Cyclophosphamide** is an alkylating agent that crosslinks DNA strands, leading to inhibition of DNA replication and cell death. - **Etoposide** is a topoisomerase II inhibitor that prevents the re-ligation of DNA strands during replication, causing double-strand breaks and apoptosis. - **Vincristine** is a vinca alkaloid that binds to tubulin and inhibits microtubule formation, arresting cell division at metaphase. This combination has been used in various regimens for the treatment of hematologic malignancies (such as lymphomas) and small cell lung cancer. The rationale for combining these agents lies in their complementary mechanisms and non-overlapping toxicities[3][6]. The regimen may be referred to by different acronyms depending on additional drugs included (e.g., CEOP when prednisone is added), but this specific three-drug combination remains foundational in certain protocols.

Other names

VCE regimenSIOP ependymoma chemotherapy regimencyclophosphamide + etoposide + vincristine sulfate