BEP is a combination chemotherapy treatment that healthcare professionals primarily use for treating testicular cancer. They may also use BEP to treat certain types of ovarian cancer and tumors that originate in the supportive tissues of your ovaries and testes.
The three drugs used in BEP combination therapy are:
- Bleomycin (Blenoxane): It is an antitumor antibiotic that binds to DNA in cancer cells and destroys their ability to replicate.
- Etoposide: A
topoisomerase II inhibitor that breaks into cancer cell DNA, preventing cell repair and division and ultimately leading to cell death. - Cisplatin: It is a platinum-based chemotherapy medication. It is an alkylating agent that binds to the DNA of cancer cells,
preventing them from replicating .
BEP works by targeting and damaging the DNA of cancer cells. The damage to the DNA disrupts the cancer cells’ ability to grow, replicate, or repair themselves, ultimately leading to their death.
Each drug in the combination therapy has a slightly different mechanism of action (how it disrupts a cell’s ability to grow and spread). These slight differences enhance BEP’s overall effectiveness.
Healthcare professionals administer all three BEP medications through an intravenous (IV) infusion.
They typically give BEP in cycles. Each treatment cycle usually lasts 3 weeks (21 days). You might have up to 4 treatment cycles depending on the type and stage of your cancer and how well your body responds to BEP treatment.
The following table shows one common way of receiving BEP. Your doctor will explain your individual treatment cycles.
| Day 1 | – etoposide is injected into your bloodstream – cisplatin is injected into your bloodstream – bleomycin is injected into your bloodstream |
|---|---|
| Day 2 | – etoposide is injected into your bloodstream – cisplatin is injected into your bloodstream |
| Day 3 | – etoposide is injected into your bloodstream |
| Day 8 | – bleomycin is injected into your bloodstream |
| Day 15 | – bleomycin is injected into your bloodstream |
Tests you’ll have before, during, and after treatment
Before and during treatment, you’ll have blood tests to check your level of red and white blood cells and to see how your liver and kidneys are functioning.
At the end of your final cycle of treatment, you’ll have a CT scan to assess the effectiveness of your treatment. You’ll also see your doctor to discuss the results of your scan and to plan follow-up care.
Side effects from BEP can vary from person to person. Your doctor will let you know what to expect. They’ll also monitor you during treatment.
The most commonly reported side effects of BEP chemotherapy treatment include:
- nausea, loss of appetite, and weight loss
- fatigue
- hair loss
- diarrhea or constipation
- tingling or numbness in fingers or toes
- mucositis (inflammation and formation of ulcers in the mucous membranes that line the digestive tract)
- ringing in the ears
- lung toxicity (tissue surrounding the air sacs becomes inflamed and can lead to scarring, reduced lung function, and difficulty breathing)
- neutropenic fever (a persistent fever that develops due to a low number of neutrophils in the blood)
- low white blood cells and increased risk of infection
- kidney damage
- low platelets
Be sure to let your doctor or nurse know if you have severe side effects that aren’t getting better. Treatments are available that can help manage side effects.