Cisplatin
Cisplatin is the original platinum chemotherapy, discovered by accident in 1965; it cures testicular cancer and makes radiation work better in cervical and head and neck cancer.
Approved 1978. Weekly cisplatin with radiation has been the backbone of curative cervical cancer treatment since five 1999 trials (the NCI alert), and remains so within KEYNOTE-A18 and INTERLACE. Nephrotoxicity, ototoxicity, neuropathy, and emesis limit it; carboplatin substitutes when kidneys or hearing are at risk.
1.Enters the cell and loses chloride ligands to become reactive
- Route
- Intravenous
- Schedule
- 40 mg/m² weekly × 5-6 with radiation (cervical); 75-100 mg/m² every 3 weeks (other tumours)
- Dose modifications
- Hold for creatinine clearance <50 mL/min, grade ≥2 neuropathy or hearing loss
- Monitoring
- Creatinine, magnesium, audiometry, hydration protocol
- Medicare
- Part B (clinician-administered)
Given by infusion or injection in a clinic or hospital outpatient department, so it is a Part B drug: Medicare pays 80% after the Part B deductible and the patient owes 20% coinsurance, uncapped in Original Medicare unless a Medigap policy applies. HCPCS J9060. Generic; low unit cost.
- Commercial insurance
- covered on label
Multi-source generic; covered under the medical benefit without prior authorisation in most plans, as part of standard regimens.
Sources: Medicare.gov: Chemotherapy · Medicare.gov: Prescription drugs (outpatient, Part B). Not medical or financial advice; verify with your plan.
- Notes
- Long-established generic: never subject to a technology appraisal; funded routinely through hospital formularies and NHS England systemic anti-cancer therapy protocols.
- NHS England
- Routinely funded for the appraised indication (or via managed access)
Sources: NICE search: cisplatin. Funding decisions are indication-specific and change monthly; verify with NICE and your treating team.
Approvals
| Region | Year | Indication |
|---|---|---|
| US | 1978 | Testicular and ovarian cancer; bladder cancer 1993 |
| Adverse event | Any grade | Grade 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Nausea and vomiting Without modern antiemetics; ~30% with NK1/5-HT3 prophylaxis | 90% | — |
| Nephrotoxicity (any grade) | 30% | — |
| Ototoxicity Dose-dependent, higher in children | 40% | — |
Events listed without rates were not read from a primary source; see the label. Blank cells mean the figure was not sourced, not that it is zero.
Trials
topRecruiting now (live from ClinicalTrials.gov)
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Landmark trials in OnCo
Latest papers
topQuery for this drug: (TITLE:"Cisplatin" OR ABSTRACT:"Cisplatin" OR TITLE:"Platinol" OR ABSTRACT:"Platinol" OR TITLE:"generic" OR ABSTRACT:"generic") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about Cisplatin, not a curated reading list.
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