Risks of Carboplatin

Carboplatin is a type of injectable prescription medication used for chemotherapy treatment. Doctors prescribe carboplatin for use against cancer of the ovaries, bladder, breast, esophagus, fallopian tube, endometrial lining, head, neck, testicles, lymphatic system, lung, skin, eye and brain. Carboplatin works by inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, but may also harm healthy cells as well, resulting in side effects.

Hematologic

• One of the most common adverse effects from carboplatin is that of bone marrow suppression, which results hematologic deficiencies or shortages of certain blood cells, reports the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Around 15 percent of patients experience some reduction in luekocytes, a type of white blood cell. Without these necessary white blood cells, you are at an increased risk for bacterial, viral and fungal infections, making it important for you to avoid sick people and wash your hands frequently. Approximately one-fourth of patients treated with carboplatin develop thrombocytopenia, or a shortage of blood platelets. Because these cells are necessary for blood to clot, a shortage of platelets may result in easy bruising, bleeding gums, nosebleeds or even bleeding in your gastrointestinal areas or brain. Carboplatin may also cause anemia or a shortage of oxygen-carrying red blood cells, which may make you feel short of breath and tired. Since blood cell deficiencies are so common with carboplatin, your doctor is likely to order regular blood tests to check your cell levels throughout your treatment.

Gastrointestinal Side Effects

• Nausea and vomiting occur in approximately 65 percent of patients who receive carboplatin treatment, reports the U.S. National Library of Medicine. In most cases, the gastrointestinal side effects subside within 24 hours of treatment. If vomiting persists, your doctor may prescribe an antiemetic or prescription medication to stop you from throwing up.

Neurologic

• Around 4 percent of patients who receive carboplatin develop peripheral neuropathy, or nerve damage in the fibers that carry messages and sensations to and from your arms and legs, explains the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Neuropathy causes symptoms like numbness and pain in your extremities, and in some cases, may persist even after treatment with carboplatin ends. Blurred vision and changes in the way food tastes are additional rare neurologic effects of the drug. At dosages higher than the recommended amount, carboplatin may cause temporary blindness.

Nephrotic and Hepatic

• Though uncommon, carboplatin may cause both kidney or liver dysfunction in some patients. When problems do arise with these vital organs, the effects are typically mild and in around 50 percent of patients, the condition ends with carboplatin treatment, reports the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Hypersensitivity

• Approximately 2 percent of patients treated with carboplatin have a severe allergic reaction to the drug, warns the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Skin rash and itching are the most common symptoms of such reactions. Infrequently, the allergy results in anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition that causes difficulty breathing and rapid heart rate. Due to the risk for allergies, doctors are typically present during the first treatment to carboplatin in order to provide emergency medical assistance if necessary.

Pregnancy

• Carboplatin poses a risk for fetal abnormalities and miscarriages. Because of this, doctors restrict use of the drug in pregnant women to instances where there is no safe alternative to use, reports the Mayo Clinic.