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What Is Carboplatin?

Carboplatin is a drug used in chemotherapy. It is frequently used to treat various cancers, such as ovarian, neck, head, testicular and lung cancers. Carboplatin looks like a transparent fluid. It has been in existence since the late 1980s and is considered to be a DNA alkylating agent.

  1. Administration

    • Carboplatin is often administered as a drip. It can be done through a tube that is inserted into the vein, often behind the hand, or through a tube that is placed underneath the skin into a vein right by the collarbone. It also can be done with a tube going into a vein on the arm's crook. The drip process lasts approximately an hour.

    Side Effects

    • As with any type of drug, carboplatin comes with the risk of side effects. Carboplatin can decrease infection resistance by lessening white blood cell production near the bone marrow. It can also cause excessive bleeding and bruising because it lessens platelet production. People who undergo carboplatin treatment risk becoming anemic (people who are anemic have an unusually low amount of red blood cells). Fatigue, weakness, nausea and appetite loss are other possible, relatively common carboplatin side effects, as are tiny mouth ulcers and sores.

    Rare Side Effects

    • There are also side effects more rarely associated with carboplatin treatment. If you have a high dosage treatment of carboplatin, you might experience hearing changes and tinnitus (ringing within the ears). Numbness in the feet and hands (called peripheral neuropathy) is also a possibility. Carboplatin affects the nerves. The taste of certain foods might seem different, as well. Hair loss is an extremely rare possible carboplatin side effect, which usually happens as a result of high dosage treatment.

    Function

    • Carboplatin is part of a drug class called platinum-containing compounds. These compounds slow down or completely stop cancer cell growth within the body. The duration of carboplatin treatment depends on a few factors, such as your cancer type and how your body is responding the drug.

    Interactions

    • Negative drug interactions are always a possibility. The only well-documented drug that reacts negatively with carboplatin is called nalidixic acid. Nalidixic acid is a medication that is commonly used for the treatment of urinary tract infections. Carboplatin must not be administered to anyone who is using nalidixic acid.

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