Analysis of carboplatin dosing in patients with a glomerular filtration rate greater than 125 mL/min: To cap or not to cap? A retrospective analysis and review

The use of the Calvert formula to calculate carboplatin doses allows clinicians to achieve the appropriate carboplatin area under the concentration (AUC) curve. Thrombocytopenia is the dose limiting toxicity of carboplatin and optimizing AUC minimizes the risk of thrombocytopenia. Carboplatin clearance directly correlates with glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and, therefore, an accurate estimation of the renal function is needed. The Calvert formula was designed using the GFR measured by 51Cr-EDTA; however, many clinicians substitute estimated creatinine clearance (CrCl) as calculated by the Cockcroft–Gault (C–G) equation. The potential for overestimating AUC occurs when clinicians substitute actual weight in obese patients or use a low serum creatinine when calculating C–G estimated CrCl. In 2010, the National Cancer Institute recommended the GFR value within the Calvert formula should not exceed 125 mL/min, thereby capping the carboplatin dose. However, there are studies demonstrating that certain patients’ actual GFR values do exceed 125 mL/min. Therefore, capping the carboplatin dose in these patients may lead to underestimating the carboplatin AUC. A single-center, retrospective study was performed to evaluate the change in platelet count pre- and post-carboplatin exposure in patients with C–G estimated CrCl greater than 125 mL/min receiving capped versus uncapped carboplatin doses. A review of carboplatin dosing strategies is also presented. This study indicated there was a larger mean difference in pre- and post-platelet count in patients receiving uncapped carboplatin compared to patients receiving capped carboplatin with no differences in toxicities. Dose capping this patient population will likely lead to a lower AUC rather than the intended AUC target, which could ultimately lead to substandard outcomes.