title: Neither toxicity nor dose intensity of carboplatin is affected by glomerular filtration rate versus body surface area dose calculation in gynecologic malignancy.
abstract: Twelve patients were given 31 courses of carboplatin using a glomerular 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 technetium-99m-DTPA. The dose given was calculated according to AUC, 5 for previously treated and 7 for previously untreated patients x GFR + 25. Patients treated using the GFR had a 22% lower projected dose intensity (DI) and a 15% lower received DI compared with controls. The percentage difference between the received and projected DI was not different between the two groups of patients. In 11 of 12 patients treated according to the GFR, if the BSA calculation dose had been used it would have resulted in a higher dose of carboplatin. Twenty per cent (six of 30 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 according to a BSA of 350 mg m-2 leads to a higher DI and total dose and does not substantially effect toxicity. It is also cost effective as it eliminates the need for unnecessary radiometric GFR determination.
authors.affiliation: London Regional Cancer Center, Ontario Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation and Victoria Hospital, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: K.S.
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Tonkin
authors.forename: L.
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: J.
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Powe