Review of the Comparative Pharmacology and Clinical Activity of Cisplatin and Carboplatin

Carboplatin does not possess equivalent activity to cisplatin in all platinum-sensitive tumors. Carboplatin can replace cisplatin in chemotherapy regimens for suboptimally debulked ovarian cancer. Two ongoing studies will address the same question in optimally debulked disease. Carboplatin can also be substituted for cisplatin in the treatment of non-small-cell and extensive-stage small-cell lung cancers. Its role in limited-stage small-cell lung cancer needs to be investigated further. Carboplatin is inferior to cisplatin in germ cell, head and neck, and esophageal cancers. Randomized studies are needed to determine whether carboplatin has equivalent efficacy to cisplatin in bladder, cervical, and endometrial cancers.