I really hope that Medical World can find permanent cure for cancer and all kind illness
Carboplatin (FDA Approved in 1989)
Trade/other name(s)
Paraplatin, CBDCA
Pronunciation: kar-bow-plah-tin
Why would this drug be used?
Carboplatin is used to treat ovarian, lung, and other cancers.
How does this drug work?
Carboplatin is a platinum chemotherapy drug that belongs to a group of drugs known as alkylating agents. It stops the growth of cancer cells, causing the cells to die.
Before taking this medicine
Tell doctor:
- If patient is allergic to anything, including medicines, dyes, additives, or foods.
- If patient has any medical conditions such as kidney disease, liver disease (including hepatitis), heart disease, congestive heart failure, diabetes, gout, or infections. These conditions may require that your medicine dose, regimen, or timing be changed.
- If patient has taken carboplatin or other platinum-containing medicines before. Patient will need to be watched more closely for certain side effects.
- If patient is pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or if there is any chance of pregnancy. This drug may cause birth defects if either the male or female is taking it at the time of conception or during pregnancy. Men and women who are taking this drug need to use some kind of birth control. It is important to check with doctor about what kinds of birth control can be used with this medicine.
- If patient is breast-feeding. It is not known whether this drug passes into breast milk. If it does, it could affect the baby.
- If patient think patient might want to have children in the future. Some drugs can cause sterility. Talk with doctor about the possible risk with this drug and the options that may preserve patient's ability to have children.
- About any other prescription or over-the-counter medicines you are taking, including vitamins and herbs.
Interactions with other drugs
If taken with other medicines that can harm the kidneys, there is a higher risk of kidney damage with this drug. Check with doctor, nurse, or pharmacist about other medicines, vitamins, herbs, and supplements, and whether alcohol can cause problems with this medicine.
Interactions with foods
No serious interactions with food are known at this time. Check with doctor, nurse, or pharmacist about whether foods may be a problem.
Tell all the doctors, dentists, nurses, and pharmacists that patient is taking this drug.
How is this drug taken or given?
Carboplatin is given as an infusion in the vein over 15 to 60 minutes. Patient will probably be given an anti-nausea drug before receiving this medicine. The dose will depend on your size but may be lowered or not given if your blood counts are low. It can also be given as an infusion into a vein over 24 hours or directly into the peritoneal cavity in advanced ovarian cancer.
Precautions
1. Do not get any immunisations (vaccinations), either during or after treatment with this drug, without doctor's consent. This drug may affect patient's immune system, which could make vaccinations ineffective, or could even lead to serious infections. Try to avoid contact with people who have recently received a live virus vaccine, such as the oral polio vaccine or smallpox vaccine. Check withdoctor about this.
2. This drug can cause allergic reactions in some people while the drug is being given. Symptoms can include feeling lightheaded or dizzy (due to low blood pressure), fever or chills, hives, nausea, itching, headache, coughing, shortness of breath, or swelling of the face, tongue, or throat. Tell doctor or nurse right away if patient notices any of these symptoms as patient is being given the drug.
3. Carboplatin is given into the vein (IV). If the drug leaks out of the vein and under the skin, it may damage the tissue, causing pain, ulceration, and scarring. Tell the nurse right away if notice redness, pain, or swelling at or near the IV.
4. Doctor will likely test patient's blood throughout treatment, looking for possible effects of the drug on blood counts (described below) or on other body organs. Based on the test results, patient may be given medicines to help treat any effects. Doctor may also need to reduce or delay next dose of this drug, or even stop it altogether.
5. This drug can lower patient's white blood cell count, especially in the weeks after the drug is given. This can increase patient's chance of getting an infection. Be sure to let doctor or nurse know right away if patient has any signs of infection, such as fever (38° or higher), chills, pain when passing urine, a new cough, or bringing up sputum.
6. Carboplatin may lower patient's platelet count in the weeks after it is given, which can increase patient's risk of bleeding. Speak with doctor before taking any drugs or supplements that might affect patient's body's ability to stop bleeding, such as aspirin or aspirin-containing medicines, warfarin (Coumadin), or vitamin E. Tell doctor right away if patient has unusual bruising, or bleeding such as nosebleeds, bleeding gums when you brush your teeth, or black, tarry stools.
7. Patient may have nausea and vomiting on the day receive this drug or in the first few days afterward. Doctor may give patient medicine before treatment to help prevent nausea and vomiting. Patient will likely also get a prescription for an anti-nausea medicine that you can take at home. It is important to have these medicines on hand and to take them as prescribed by doctor.
8. Carboplatin may cause damage to certain nerves in the body, which can lead to a condition called peripheral neuropathy. This can cause numbness, weakness, pain, or sensations of burning or tingling, usually in the hands or feet. Constipation can also occur. These symptoms can sometimes progress to include trouble walking or holding something in your hands. Patient will be watched closely for these symptoms. Let doctor know right away if notice any of them. If Patient's symptoms are severe enough, this drug may need to be stopped or the dose reduced until they get better.
Possible side effects
Common
- Decreased white blood cell count with increased risk of infection*
- Decreased platelet count with increased risk of bleeding*
- Brittle hair
- Kidney function can be altered at high doses
- Fetal abnormalities if pregnant or becoming pregnant while taking this drug
Less common
- Nausea*
- Vomiting*
- Mild loss of appetite
- Mild diarrhea
- Constipation
- Taste changes
- Sensation of pins and needles in hands and/or feet related to nerve irritation*
Rare
- Confusion
- Changes in vision
- Ringing in ears, hearing loss
- Rash
- Severe allergic reaction*
- Dizziness
