[Platinum compounds: metabolism, toxicity and supportive strategies]

Although the leading platinum compounds, cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin, share some structural similarities, there are marked differences between them in therapeutic uses, pharmacokinetics, and adverse effects profiles. Compared with cisplatin, carboplatin has inferior efficacy in germ-cell tumors, head and neck cancers, and bladder and esophageal carcinomas, whereas the two drugs appear to have comparable efficacy in ovarian cancer, extensive small-cell lung cancers (SCLC), and advanced non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLC). Oxaliplatin belongs to the group of diaminocyclohexane (DACH) platinum compounds. It is the first platinum-based drug that has marked efficacy in colorectal cancer when given in combination with 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid. Nedaplatin has been registered in Japan, whereas other derivatives, like JM216 (which is the only orally available platinum derivative), ZD0473, BBR3464, and SPI-77 (a liposomal formulation of cisplatin), are still under investigation. The adverse effects of platinum compounds are reviewed together with possible prevention strategies.