gemcitabine + cisplatin or gemcitabine + carboplatin

Gemcitabine + cisplatin and gemcitabine + carboplatin are combination chemotherapy regimens used to treat various cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer, ovarian cancer, bladder cancer, biliary tract cancer, cervical cancer, malignant mesothelioma, pancreatic cancer, and others[1][2][4][5][6]. These combinations pair the antimetabolite agent gemcitabine with a platinum-based compound—either cisplatin or carboplatin. Gemcitabine is a nucleoside analog that inhibits DNA synthesis by incorporating into DNA during replication and blocking further chain elongation. Cisplatin and carboplatin are platinum-containing agents that form DNA crosslinks and induce apoptosis in rapidly dividing cells. The rationale for combining these drugs is their complementary mechanisms of action: while both disrupt DNA function in tumor cells, they do so via different pathways[4][5]. Both combinations are administered intravenously on specific schedules depending on the regimen; for example, in the case of NSCLC treatment with cisplatin-gemcitabine or carboplatin-gemcitabine regimens[6], cycles typically repeat every 21 days. Each drug in these combinations is FDA-approved for use as an anticancer agent.

Brand names

Gemzar (gemcitabine)Infugem (gemcitabine)Paraplatin (carboplatin)

Other names

GEMCITABINE-CISPLATINCISplatin-Gemcitabine