Carboplatin Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Philip Thornton, DipPharm. Last updated on Jun 10, 2024.

Applies to carboplatin: intravenous powder for solution, intravenous solution.

Precautions

It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure that this medicine is working properly and to check for unwanted effects.

While you are being treated with carboplatin, and after you stop treatment with it, do not have any immunizations (vaccinations) without your doctor's approval. Carboplatin may lower your body's resistance and there is a chance you might get the infection the immunization is meant to prevent. In addition, other persons living in your household should not take oral polio vaccine since there is a chance they could pass the polio virus on to you. Also, avoid persons who have taken oral polio vaccine within the last several months. Do not get close to them, and do not stay in the same room with them for very long. If you cannot take these precautions, you should consider wearing a protective face mask that covers the nose and mouth.

Carboplatin can temporarily lower the number of white blood cells in your blood, increasing the chance of getting an infection. It can also lower the number of platelets, which are necessary for proper blood clotting. If this occurs, there are certain precautions you can take, especially when your blood count is low, to reduce the risk of infection or bleeding:

• If you can, avoid people with infections. Check with your doctor immediately if you think you are getting an infection or if you get a fever or chills, cough or hoarseness, lower back or side pain, or painful or difficult urination.
• Check with your doctor immediately if you notice any unusual bleeding or bruising; black, tarry stools; blood in urine or stools; or pinpoint red spots on your skin.
• Be careful when using a regular toothbrush, dental floss, or toothpick. Your medical doctor, dentist, or nurse may recommend other ways to clean your teeth and gums. Check with your health care professional before having any dental work done.
• Do not touch your eyes or the inside of your nose unless you have just washed your hands and have not touched anything else in the meantime.
• Be careful not to cut yourself when you are using sharp objects such as a safety razor or fingernail or toenail cutters.
• Avoid contact sports or other situations where bruising or injury could occur.

Serious side effects of carboplatin

Along with its needed effects, carboplatin may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Also, because of the way these medicines act on the body, there is a chance that they might cause other unwanted effects that may not occur until months or years after the medicine is used. These delayed effects may include certain types of cancer, such as leukemia. Discuss these possible effects with your doctor.

Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur while taking carboplatin:

Other side effects of carboplatin

Some side effects of carboplatin may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.

Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

This medicine may cause a temporary loss of hair in some people. After treatment with carboplatin has ended, normal hair growth should return.

For healthcare professionals

Applies to carboplatin: intravenous powder for injection, intravenous solution.

Hematologic adverse events

• Very common (10% or more): Leukopenia (98%), neutropenia (97%), anemia (91%), thrombocytopenia (70%), bleeding (10%)
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Febrile neutropenia
• Frequency not reported: Bone marrow failure, hemolytic-uremic syndrome^[Ref]

Gastrointestinal

• Very common (10% or more): Nausea (93%), vomiting (84%), adverse GI effects (50%), abdominal pain
• Common (1% to 10%): Mucositis, diarrhea, constipation
• Frequency not reported: Stomatitis, pancreatitis^[Ref]

Nervous system

• Very common (10% or more): Central neurotoxicity (26%), peripheral neuropathy (15%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Other sensory side effects, paresthesia, decrease of osteotendinous reflexes, sensory disturbance, dysgeusia
• Frequency not reported: Cerebrovascular accident, reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (RPLS)^[Ref]

Hepatic

• Very common (10% or more): Alkaline phosphatase elevations (29%), SGOT elevations (20%), aspartate aminotransferase increased, liver function test abnormal
• Common (1% to 10%): Bilirubin elevations^[Ref]

Renal

• Very common (10% or more): Blood urea elevations (17%), creatinine renal clearance decreased^[Ref]

Other

• Very common (10% or more): Pain (44%), asthenia (41%), ototoxicity (12%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Asthenia
• Frequency not reported: Malaise^[Ref]

Hypersensitivity

• Common (1% to 10%): Hypersensitivity, anaphylactoid type reaction^[Ref]

Metabolic

• Very common (10% or more): Magnesium loss (61%), potassium loss (16%), calcium loss (16%), sodium loss (10%)
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Hyponatremia
• Frequency not reported: Dehydration, anorexia, tumor lysis syndrome^[Ref]

Ocular

• Rare (less than 0.1%): Visual disturbance (including rare cases of loss of vision)^[Ref]

Immunologic

• Very common (10% or more): Infection (14%)

Local

• Frequency not reported: Injection site necrosis, injection site reaction, injection site extravasation, injection site erythema

Musculoskeletal

• Common (1% to 10%): Musculoskeletal disorder^[Ref]

Genitourinary

• Common (1% to 10%): Urogenital disorder^[Ref]

Oncologic

• Frequency not reported: Neoplasms (e.g., benign, malignant, unspecified) including cysts and polyps^[Ref]

Respiratory

• Common (1% to 10%): Respiratory disorder, interstitial lung disease, bronchospasm
• Frequency not reported: Pneumonia^[Ref]

Cardiovascular

• Common (1% to 10%): Cardiovascular disorder
• Frequency not reported: Cardiac failure, embolism, hypertension, hypotension^[Ref]

Dermatologic

• Very common (10% or more): Alopecia (49%), skin disorder
• Frequency not reported: Urticaria, rash, erythema, pruritus^[Ref]

See also:

Frequently asked questions

• Why give Taxol (Paxel) before carboplatin?
• What is TCHP chemotherapy and how is it used?
• How does carboplatin stop cancer?
• Does carboplatin cause neuropathy?

Further information

Carboplatin side effects can vary depending on the individual. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Note: Medication side effects may be underreported. If you are experiencing side effects that are not listed, submit a report to the FDA by following this guide.

Medical Disclaimer