carboplatin

What is the most important information I should know about carboplatin?

You may have a severe allergic reaction shortly after receiving a carboplatin injection. Your medical caregivers will quickly treat you if this occurs. You may be given medicine prior to the injection to help prevent an allergic reaction.

What is carboplatin?

Carboplatin is used in adults in combination with other cancer treatments to treat ovarian cancer.

Carboplatin is also used adults who have advanced ovarian carcinoma and are receiving palliative care (treatment to relieve suffering and improve quality of life during a serious illness).

Carboplatin may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before receiving carboplatin?

• severe bleeding;
• severe bone marrow suppression; or
• if you have had a severe allergic reaction to similar cancer drugs such as oxaliplatin or cisplatin.

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• if you have recently been exposed to varicella (chickenpox), or have varicella (chickenpox);
• shingles (herpes zoster);
• hearing problems;
• weak immune system (caused by disease or by using certain medicines);
• if you have received carboplatin in the past;
• liver disease; or
• kidney disease.

How is carboplatin given?

Carboplatin is injected slowly into a vein by a healthcare provider over 15 minutes or longer. This medicine is usually given once every 4 weeks.

Doses are based on body surface area (height and weight) and kidney function. Your dose may change if you gain or lose weight or if your kidney function changes.

Tell your medical caregivers if you feel any burning or pain when carboplatin is injected.

You may get infections or bleed more easily. You may need frequent medical tests and your cancer treatments may be delayed based on the results.

Your kidney and liver function may also need to be tested.

You may need blood transfusions while you are being treated with carboplatin.

What happens if I miss a dose?

What happens if I overdose?

What should I avoid while receiving carboplatin?

Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Tell your doctor at once if you develop signs of infection.

Ask your doctor before getting any vaccine while you are being treated with carboplatin or after you stop treatment. Also avoid coming into contact with anyone who recently received an oral polio vaccine. In the US, polio vaccine is available only as an injection, but the oral form may still be in use in other countries.

What are the possible side effects of carboplatin?

Some side effects may occur during the injection. Tell your medical caregivers if you feel dizzy, nauseated, light-headed, itchy, sweaty, or have a headache, chest tightness, back pain, trouble breathing, or swelling in your face.

• severe or ongoing nausea and vomiting;
• numbness or tingly feeling in your hands or feet;
• vision problems;
• hearing problems, ringing in your ears;
• pain, burning, irritation, or skin changes where the injection was given;
• signs of infection --fever, chills, sore throat, body aches, unusual tiredness, loss of appetite, bruising or bleeding;
• liver problems --loss of appetite, stomach pain (upper right side), tiredness, itching, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
• low blood cell counts --fever, chills, tiredness, mouth sores, skin sores, easy bruising, unusual bleeding, pale skin, cold hands and feet, feeling light-headed or short of breath; or
• signs of an electrolyte imbalance --increased thirst or urination, constipation, muscle weakness, leg cramps, numbness or tingling, feeling jittery, fluttering in your chest.

Common side effects may include:

• low blood cell counts;
• loss of appetite;
• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;
• numbness, burning pain, or tingly feeling;
• temporary hair loss; or
• pain in your hands or feet.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect carboplatin?

Carboplatin can harm your kidneys, especially if you also use certain medicines for infections, cancer, osteoporosis, organ transplant rejection, high blood pressure, or pain or arthritis (including Advil, Motrin, and Aleve).

Tell your doctor about all your current medicines.

This list is not complete and many other drugs may affect carboplatin. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.

Where can I get more information?

Your doctor or pharmacist can provide more information about carboplatin.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2023 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 8.01. Revision date: 3/15/2023.