Standardization of chemotherapy and individual dosing of platinum compounds.

Platinum compounds represent a pharmacological class essential for the treatment of certain types of cancer. Cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin, share some physiochemical and pharmacological properties, in particular the ability to form DNA adducts. Carboplatin may be considered as an analog of cisplatin, but its pharmacokinetic properties, side-effects, and intrinsic activity are significantly different from those of cisplatin. The choice of one of these two compounds may be made rationally based on the individual patient's characteristics.