Clinical pharmacokinetics and administration of established platinum drugs

We review the pharmacology and clinical administration of the commonly used platinum-based anticancer drugs cisplatin and carboplatin, and the more re cently approved diamminocyclohexane-based oxaliplatin. The development of a nalogues of cisplatin has been focused upon identifying compounds with less toxicity and with a different spectrum of activity. Carboplatin exemplifies the former, while the initial data with oxaliplatin support its activity in cisplatin-resistant tumours. The clinical pharmaco kinetics of the drugs are reviewed. Incorporation of these data into the de sign of clinical regimens has permitted individualised therapy with carbopl atin, and has enhanced safety. Additional investigation of the pharmacodyna mics of all of these agents is expected to result in their selective applic ation. The clinical effects of these analogues are discussed.