Cisplatin

What is Cisplatin for?

Cisplatin may be used alone or in combination with other drugs to treat a wide variety of cancer including esophageal, gastric, ovarian, head and neck, lung and testicular cancers and certain lymphomas.
It disrupts the normal structure and function of DNA in cancer cells, preventing them from dividing.  

How should I take or use Cisplatin?

Cisplatin is given as an injection into your vein (intravenous) 

What precautions should I take when taking or using Cisplatin?

Inform your healthcare professional if: 

• You are allergic to this medication or any of the other ingredients of this medication
• You are pregnant, are planning to become pregnant or if your partner could become pregnant
  • You should use effective birth control during treatment and for 14 months after your last treatment
  • Cisplatin may have an irreversible effect on fertility. You should discuss with your doctor regarding fertility preservation prior to starting treatment.
• You are breastfeeding
• You are taking any other medications, including supplements, traditional medications and herbal remedies. 

What food or medication should I avoid when I take or use Cisplatin?

Avoid taking Traditional Chinese Medicines, Jamu or Supplements without consulting your physician as it may potentially interact with your medicine. 

What are some common side effects of Cisplatin?

Early Side Effects (within hours to days of receiving Cisplatin)

• Nausea and vomiting
  • Take small, frequent meals and avoid foods with smells that may trigger nausea
  • Take medications for nausea or vomiting
  • Avoid tight fitting clothes
• Ulcers on tongue, sides of mouth or in the throat
  • Brush teeth gently and use a soft toothbrush
  • Rinse and brush dentures after eating. Ensure dentures are also well-fitted.
    Rinse mouth regularly with an alcohol -free mouth gargle or salt water to help reduce the chance of infection
• Decrease in appetite
  • Taste changes such as bitter or metallic aftertaste in your mouth or food may taste different to what you expect
• Kidney problems
  • Drink plenty of fluids to prevent this from happening

Delayed Side Effects (within days to weeks after receiving Cisplatin)

• Increased risk of infections
  • Practice good personal hygiene
  • Avoid eating raw uncooked/half cooked food
  • Avoid crowds and people who are sick as much as possible
• Numbness, tingling or burning sensations may be experienced in the hands or feet
• Temporary hair loss
• Difficulty in hearing, ringing or stuffed sensations in the ear 
   

What are some rare but serious side effects that I need to seek medical advice immediately?

• Allergic reactions. Please alert your healthcare professional if you experience this during your treatment.
• The symptoms of a drug allergy include one or more of the following:
  • Swollen face/eyes/lips/tongue
  • Difficulty in breathing
  • Itchy skin rashes over your whole body
• Stinging pain, redness or swelling around the vein due to drug leakage around the infusion site. Please alert your nurse immediately if you experience this during your treatment. They may give the drug more slowly or flush it through with more fluids to reduce pain.
• Signs of Infection such as fever with a temperature of 38 degree celsius and above, chills, very bad sore throat, cough, pain with passing urine, mouth sores or wounds that will not heal
• Signs of bleeding such as coughing up blood or coffee-ground vomitus, passing a large amount of fresh blood in urine or stools, tea-coloured urine, black sticky stools, unexplained bruises or bleeding you cannot stop
• Numbness and tingling sensation in the limbs which persists after several days after receiving Cisplatin or when it becomes difficult for daily tasks such as buttoning shirts and picking up objects
• Signs of kidney problems such as unusual decrease in urination, lower back pain/flank pain, or swelling of feet or lower legs
• Ringing in the ears
• Blurred vision or affected colour perception

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should stop your medication and see your healthcare professional immediately.