Carboplatin (NSC-241-240): an active platinum analog for the treatment of squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Carboplatin (CBDCA, Bristol-Meyers, New York) is a second generation platinum analog. Preclinical and phase I clinical studies have indicated a different spectrum of toxicity compared with the parent compound. In order to study the activity of carboplatin against cancer of the head and neck, 31 patients with recurrent or metastatic disease (30 squamous-cell and one adenoid cystic carcinoma) were treated with doses of 60 to 80 mg/m2 administered daily by intravenous (IV) bolus injections for five days, repeated at every 4- to 5-week intervals. In most cases, treatment was administered on an outpatient basis. Eight patients (26%; 95% confidence interval, 12% to 45%) had complete (CR) or partial responses (PR) with a median duration of 4.5 months. Moderate bone marrow suppression was the main toxicity. Mild nausea and vomiting was unusual and no neuro- or nephrotoxicity were seen. These preliminary data suggest that carboplatin has activity against advanced squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck comparable with the results reported with cisplatin alone in similar patient populations. The potential advantages over the parent compound relate to the absence of nephrotoxic effects and mild gastrointestinal toxicity which allows for outpatient treatment. Because carboplatin toxicity is directly dependent on its mechanism of renal excretion, particular attention should be given for its use in patients with impaired renal function or when combined with nephrotoxic agents. Similarly, because the dose limiting toxicity with this agent is primarily hematologic, its use in combination with other myelotoxic agents should be carefully undertaken. Further studies are indicated in order to define the spectrum of activity of the new generation platinum analogs in various tumors in humans.