paclitaxel + estramustine + etoposide

The combination of paclitaxel, estramustine, and etoposide, often referred to as the EEP regimen, is a triplet chemotherapy protocol studied by the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center for the treatment of prostate cancer. This regimen combines three distinct mechanisms of action to target malignant cells: paclitaxel, a taxane, stabilizes microtubules to prevent depolymerization and arrest cell division; estramustine, a conjugate of estradiol and nornitrogen mustard, binds to microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) and exerts estrogenic effects; and etoposide, a podophyllotoxin derivative, inhibits DNA topoisomerase II, leading to DNA strand breaks. Clinical trials at the University of Michigan evaluated this combination in both hormone-refractory and hormone-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer, demonstrating significant antitumor activity with PSA response rates exceeding 45%.

Other names

EEP regimenestramustine, etoposide, and paclitaxel combination