Carboplatin: a new cisplatin analog.

Carboplatin, a new antineoplastic agent with a spectrum of antitumor activity similar to cisplatin, has shown appreciable activity in patients with ovarian carcinoma, head and neck cancer, and small-cell lung cancer. This platinum complex is less nephrotoxic, ototoxic, and neurotoxic than cisplatin. Myelosuppression may be severe and dose-limiting. Carboplatin distributes into a volume approximating total body water, and is slowly bound to plasma proteins; its elimination is a biphasic process. Renal clearance of free platinum from carboplatin correlates highly with creatinine clearance in patients with normal or impaired renal function. The recommended iv dose of carboplatin as a single agent in previously untreated patients is 400-500 mg/m2; dosage must be reduced in patients with decreased renal function, low initial platelet count, or extensive prior chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Carboplatin will be most useful in patients with decreased renal function and those who cannot tolerate high-volume hydration regimens. Patients at higher risk for development of cisplatin-related ototoxicity or neurotoxicity (e.g., patients expected to receive cumulative cisplatin doses exceeding 600-800 mg/m2) may be ideal candidates for carboplatin as initial therapy. Large-scale comparative trials are needed before carboplatin can be recommended as a replacement for cisplatin.