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Published on: March 16, 2018
Carboplatin hypersensitivity and desensitization in an infant
Juan Manuel Montiel Herrera1, Marco Antonio Góngora-Melendez, Mario Luis Pineda-Maldonado
1Department of Allergy and Pediatric Immunology, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico. jmanuelmontiel@hotmail.com
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
|May 14, 2010
Summary
Carboplatin hypersensitivity, though rare, can be life-threatening. This case study details successful desensitization of a pediatric patient to carboplatin, enabling continued chemotherapy.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Clinical Pharmacology
Background:
- Carboplatin (CBP) is a platinum-based chemotherapy agent used for various cancers.
- Hypersensitivity reactions to CBP, while uncommon, pose significant clinical challenges due to potential severity.
Observation:
- A 1-year-old girl with optic nerve glioma developed symptoms of hypersensitivity, including rash and respiratory distress, during her seventh CBP cycle.
- Diagnostic evaluation, including skin testing, confirmed carboplatin hypersensitivity.
- The patient had no prior history of drug allergies or adverse reactions.
Findings:
- The adverse drug reaction was definitively linked to carboplatin using the Naranjo criteria.
- Successful desensitization to carboplatin was achieved, allowing for the completion of the planned 12 chemotherapy cycles.
- The desensitization process was integrated into each subsequent chemotherapy cycle.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of recognizing and managing carboplatin hypersensitivity in pediatric oncology.
- Successful desensitization provides a viable strategy to continue essential chemotherapy in hypersensitive patients.
- Further research into mechanisms and management of platinum-based drug hypersensitivity is warranted.
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