NEITHER TOXICITY NOR DOSE INTENSITY OF CARBOPLATIN IS AFFECTED BY GLOMERULAR-FILTRATION RATE VERSUS BODY-SURFACE AREA DOSE CALCULATION IN GYNECOLOGIC MALIGNANCY

Twelve patients were given 31 courses of carboplatin using a glomerula r filtration rate (GFR)-based area under the curve (AUC) dose schedule , and nine patients were given 35 cycles at a body surface area (BSA) dose of 350 mg m-2 every 3 weeks. The GFR was determined using technet ium-99m-DTPA. The dose given was calculated according to AUC, 5 for pr eviously treated and 7 for previously untreated patients x GFR + 25. P atients treated using the GFR had a 22% lower projected dose intensity (DI) and a 15% lower received DI compared with controls. The percenta ge difference between the received and projected DI was not different between the two groups of patients. In 11 of 12 patients treated accor ding to the GFR, if the BSA calculation dose had been used it would ha ve resulted in a higher dose of carboplatin. Twenty per cent (six of 3 0 courses) of GFR-based doses were delayed compared to 29% (10 of 35) of the BSA-calculated control groups. We conclude that giving a dose a ccording to a BSA of 350 Mg M-2 leads to a higher DI and total dose an d does not substantially effect toxicity. It is also cost effective as it eliminates the need for unnecessary radiometric GFR determination.