Recent updates in the clinical use of platinum compounds for the treatment of lung, breast, and genitourinary tumors and myeloma.

Platinum compounds have shown activity in a broad spectrum of human tumors in vitro and in vivo. The clinical utility of platinum agents in gynecologic and gastrointestinal cancers (particularly oxaliplatin in colorectal cancer) has been well documented and platinum agents continue to be evaluated in a variety of other cancers. Given preclinical evidence of synergy among some platinum compounds and new anticancer agents, clinical trials exploring platinum-based combination therapies may yield improved treatment for a variety of malignancies. Recent clinical data on new chemotherapeutic strategies for the treatment of lung, breast, and genitourinary cancers and myeloma will be presented in this review.