Talk:Carboplatin

Arrows in carboplatin figure
What's the deal with the arrows connecting the patinum atom to the amino groups? Shouldn't those arrows be simple lines representing single bonds? --David Iberri (talk) 09:29, 22 April 2008 (UTC)

They represent dative bonds (i.e. the nitrogen donates its lone pair to the platinum). In reality either would be acceptable. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.88.233.248 (talk) 16:28, 27 February 2012 (UTC)

Formula vs molecule weight discrepancy?
the main page says "Formula C6H14N2O4Pt" and "Mol. mass 371.249 g/mol", however in the picture shown I see only 12 hydrogen atom white balls, and if you add up the weight of all atoms, 14 H's gives you 2 higher than the 371 weight.

The main page's link to "PubChem 498142" shows a formula having only H12 with a weight of 371.24848, and that molecule has a charge of negative 2, because it somehow takes an H away from each of the nitrogen atoms, but gives a 3rd bond to the oxygens instead of the normal 2. Same story for the drawing at the ATC code link.

At PubChem, if you click on the link for similar compounds, you do find another molecule of the same formula wiht H14, having a weight of 373.26436, and somehow it goes from negative-2 to positive-2 while adding 2 H's. Silversplash (talk) 05:37, 2 August 2009 (UTC)
 * The NIH site has the same formula, but a higher MW than 371.249 g/mol which I assume includes the two additional hydrogens. I revised the MW to 373.2666 g/mol to be consistent with the NIH reference.  The PubChem site includes alternate formulas with 12 and 14 hydrogens. Sandcherry (talk) 16:15, 28 February 2019 (UTC)

Side Effects section - Cisplatin vs. Carboplatin
Recently, an IP user made an edit, without explanation, that deleted the following text from the first paragraph of the Side Effects section:
 * Carboplatin has also proven effective in some strains of cancer that may not be susceptible to cisplatin, including germ-line cell, small and non-small cell lung, ovary, and bladder cancers, as well as acute leukemia.

This deletion may be entirely appropriate.
 * The Side Effects section isn't the correct place to note a difference in efficacy of carboplatin vs. cistplatin
 * The assertion is unreferenced
 * I'm not aware of such a difference
 * The terminology used ("some strains") is inaccurate.

I "undid" the deletion for procedural reasons, but I think it is correct to actually delete it. Does anyone have any comments on the matter?

Thank you, JoeSperrazza (talk) 22:19, 18 December 2010 (UTC)


 * The same editor made the change again, but this time included an edit summary. I agree with the change. JoeSperrazza (talk) 16:01, 19 December 2010 (UTC)

-- Also, under the Side Effects section the following statement is made: "The effectiveness of carboplatin can be increased by first incubating carboplatin in a sodium chloride (NaCl) solution. After 24 hours, an analysis is performed on the solution by separating the compounds by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The TLC isolates cisplatin, carboplatin, and several platinum by-products in the solution."

This statement is unreferenced; as such it is irresponsible to have been made available to general public and should be deleted. As a medical professional, I had a patient bring this to my attention hoping to improve their chemotherapy treatment options. At this time, this "science" is not applicable to how carboplatin or any other drug is produced at any hospital or outpatient pharmacy, and is confusing to patients attempting to educate themselves. Thank you, MH 152.16.53.15 (talk) 15:52, 1 April 2015 (UTC)

I was not that user, but I wish to add the following, which I hope is useful and relevant to the cis versus carbo discussion. If this is still relevant 4 years later :D

I have Lynch's syndrome and another genetic marker whose name I can not recall, but it related to an absent mismatch-repair gene and is thus cancer related. I have therefore had several cancers that required major surgery. The most recent one was for a ureteric (uretereal?) cancer. At the same time, the corresponding kidney was removed, because (a) it also had a cancer, albeit a very slow growing one; and (b) the ureter had to come out, and so therefore did the now "stranded" kidney. Cytology showed that this cancer was "highly invasive".

After that, my next PET scan, less than 2 months after the surgery, already and alarmingly showed metasteses of this cancer (confirmed by biopsy) in perhaps a dozen lymph nodes. The decision was made that I should have chemotherapy. Now ureteric cancer is so rare, that [in Australia] there is no specific chemo for it. Therefore, I was to have Gemcitabine and a platinum chemo, because the urothelial cells of the ureter, and hence the metastatic cancer ones, are "similar enough" to those in the bladder, for which those two drugs are the appropriate treatment.

My oncologist said that I really should have Cisplatin, because it is more effective in this context, but because I now have only one kidney, and that drug is very nephrotoxic, he does not dare put me on that straight away. Instead, he has started me on Carboplatin and Gem. With the undertaking that if my blood tests show that I am tolerating the Carboplatin well, that he may be able to upgrade me to Cisplatin, with very close monitoring of white blood cell count and kidney function.

Now I have no formal medical training whatsoever, but I have a good memory and good oral comprehension :D. So I am merely parroting what my various doctors have said, and I am confident that my understanding of that is quite accurate. I hope that it is relevant. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 58.167.145.28 (talk) 11:31, 13 March 2019 (UTC)

Dating of the development is not accurate
The following comment was added to article, but I have moved it here for discussion.
 * The dating of the development is not accurate. I was treated for testicular cancer in 1986 with Carboplatin after Cisplatin caused too many side-effects. This was in a hospital in Deventer, the Netherlands. Regards, Herman ten Klooster

-- Ed (Edgar181) 13:13, 25 March 2013 (UTC)

Flip molecular structure image horizontally?
The chemical structure is oriented with the NH3 groups and the Platinum on the left; but the 3-D molecular image is oriented with them on the right. Makes it difficult to map the comparison between the two. Can someone with image editing tools flip the 3-D image horizontally? Then they would align. There is no stereochemistry in this molecule, so it won't change anything of substance. --Ba2kell (talk) 12:50, 8 June 2020 (UTC)


 * I can do that. I looked up the crystal structure and the molecular geometry varies a bit from the current image, so I'll make a new one. --Ben (talk) 19:20, 8 June 2020 (UTC)


 * Sorted. --Ben (talk) 20:04, 8 June 2020 (UTC)