Carboplatin injection must be given in a hospital or medical facility under the supervision of a doctor who is experienced in giving chemotherapy medications for cancer.
Carboplatin can cause a severe decrease in the number of blood cells in your bone marrow. This increases the risk that you will develop a serious infection or bleeding. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: fever, sore throat, chills, ongoing cough and congestion, or other signs of infection; unusual bleeding or bruising; black and tarry stools; red blood in stools; bloody vomit; vomited material that looks like coffee grounds.
Carboplatin may cause severe allergic reactions. If you experience an allergic reaction to carboplatin injection, it may begin within a few minutes after your infusion starts, and you may experience the following symptoms: hives; skin rash; itching; reddening of the skin; difficulty breathing or swallowing; dizziness; faintness; or fast heartbeat. Tell your doctor immediately if you experience any of these symptoms.
Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain tests before, during, and after your treatment to check your body's response to carboplatin. Your doctor may need to stop or delay your treatment if you experience certain side effects.
Why is this medicine prescribed?
Carboplatin is used alone or in combination with other medications to treat cancer of the ovaries (cancer that begins in the female reproductive organs where eggs are formed) that has spread to other parts of the body, not improved, or that has worsened after treatment with other medications or radiation therapy. Carboplatin is in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds. It works by stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells.
Are there other uses for this medicine?
Carboplatin is also sometimes used to treat lung, bladder, breast, and endometrial cancer; head and neck cancer; cancer of the cervix and testicles: Wilms' tumor (a type of kidney cancer that occurs in children); certain types of brain tumors; neuroblastoma (a cancer that begins in nerve cells and occurs mainly in children); and retinoblastoma (cancer in the eye). Talk to your doctor about the risks of using this medication for your condition.
This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
How should this medicine be used?
Carboplatin injection comes as a solution (liquid) to be injected over at least 15 minutes intravenously (into a vein) by a doctor or nurse in a medical facility. It is usually given once every 4 weeks.
What special precautions should I follow?
Before receiving carboplatin injection,
- tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to carboplatin, cisplatin (Platinol), any other medications, or any of the ingredients in carboplatin injection. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients.
- tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: aminoglycoside antibiotics such as amikacin (Amikin), gentamicin (Garamycin), or tobramycin (Tobi, Nebcin). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects. Many other medications may also interact with cisplatin, so be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking, even those that do not appear on this list.
- tell your doctor if you have or have ever had kidney disease or if you have bleeding problems.
- tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. You should not become pregnant or breast-feed while you are receiving carboplatin. If you become pregnant while receiving carboplatin, call your doctor. Carboplatin may harm the fetus.
What should I do in case of overdose?
In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at 1-800-222-1222. Information is also available online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help . If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at 911.
Symptoms of overdose may include:
- black, tarry, or bloody stools
- bloody vomit or vomited material that looks like coffee grounds
- unusual bruising or bleeding
- decreased urination
- pain, burning, or tingling in the hands or feet
- ringing in ears and difficulty hearing
What side effects can this medicine cause?
Carboplatin may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- constipation
- sores in the mouth and throat
- pain, burning, or tingling in the hands or feet
- pain, itching, redness, swelling, blisters, or sores in the place where the medication was injected
- hair loss
- pain
- weakness
- loss in ability to taste food
Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately:
- pale skin
- unusual tiredness or weakness
- fainting
- dizziness
- sudden changes in vision, including color vision
- decreased urination
- swelling of the face, arms, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
- shortness of breath with everyday activity or when lying flat
- ringing in ears and difficulty hearing
Carboplatin may increase the risk that you will develop other cancers. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking this medication.
Carboplatin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.
If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online ( http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch ) or by phone (1-800-332-1088).
What other information should I know?
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.