Platinum-based chemotherapy drugs are first-line treatments for ovarian cancer and other types of cancers. Drugs in this class include cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin. As with any chemotherapy drug, these medications have side effects. Side effects can vary according to the type of drug, the dosage given, the schedule and your general health. Not everyone will experience every side effect, and many are temporary and resolve after treatment had ended.
Cisplatin (Platinol)
Common side effects of cisplatin include nausea and vomiting; possible kidney damage; changes in how food tastes; a metallic taste in the mouth; swelling of the hands, feet or legs; and numbness/tingling in the feet or hands (peripheral neuropathy). Other side effects that are less common are fatigue, changes in balance, hearing loss, loss of appetite, thinning hair, diarrhea and low white blood cell and platelet counts (increasing the risk of infection and bruising/bleeding).
If you start to have ringing in the ears, unusual bleeding or nosebleeds, a fever of 100.5 degrees F or higher, pain with urination or chills, tell your health care provider immediately, because these are serious medical issues that need attention.
Carboplatin (Paraplatin)
While carboplatin works similarly to cisplatin, the side effects tend to be less harsh. Common side effects of carboplatin include a lowered white blood cell and platelet count, brittle hair and, at high doses, kidney damage. Less common side effects can consist of nausea, vomiting, mild diarrhea, tingling in hands and feet, and changes in how food tastes.
If you develop a fever of 100.5 degrees F or higher, have pain with urination, develop a new cough, or start producing mucus when you cough, your health care provider should be notified, according to the American Cancer Society.
Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin)
Common side effects of oxaliplatin include tingling and numbness in the feet and hands (peripheral neuropathy), nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, mouth sores, low white and red blood cell and platelet counts (which can lead to increased risk of infection, anemia and easy bruising/bleeding), fatigue and loss of appetite. Less common side effects of the drug include constipation, fever, cough and generalized pain.
Side effects that require notifying your health care provider immediately include nausea, vomiting or diarrhea that interferes with functioning (four to six episodes in 24 hours), tarry stools, severe abdominal pain, fatigue that interferes with general functioning and fever of 100.5 degrees F or higher.
