Carboplatin is Causing Low Platelet Count - My Ovacome

My Ovacome

17,619 members19,896 posts

Carboplatin is Causing Low Platelet Count

purfekt10 profile image
7 Replies

I was diagnosed with primary peritoneal cancer (III B) 6 months ago. Four months prior to that I was diagnosed with appendiceal cancer which is completely unrelated to this current cancer. I went through 3 rounds of chemo (carboplatin and taxol). Then I had a break as I had surgery to remove my ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus and omentum). There was no visible cancer at the time, but the pathology report showed microscopic cancer in several areas of the peritoneum. Therefore, I was scheduled for 5 more rounds of chemo. However, my platelets were too low and I had to forgo some of the chemo. My oncologist sent me to a hematologist to see if my bone marrow was completely damaged. I had numerous blood test and a bone marrow biopsy to see what was going on. ALL of the tests came back normal, so the hematologist said I should not have any more carboplatin because he said it was too damaging to my platelets. I see my oncologist tomorrow to see if he can come up with a new treatment plan. Has anyone else had this problem?

Written by
purfekt10 profile image
purfekt10
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
7 Replies
Jackie0 profile image
Jackie0

Difficult to understand if your blood results were normal, why no carboplatin? Hopefully your oncologist will come up with an alternative treatment.

I had problems with very low neutrophils whilst on carboplatin, and several treatments were delayed, eventually I was given a supplement just after chemo to maintain a healthy level, and they seemed to work. Sorry I don't remember the exact name of the drug but it was by injection into my stomach.

Hope you get some resolve with your oncologist

Much love JackieO xx

This is such a common problem, I'm rather bemused as to why they seem to have jumped the gun like this.

Intrigued also that you got a haematology referral for it. Unless, of course, your drop was a lot worse than what I'm familiar with. Could you ask for a second opinion?

With single agent carboplatin, my platelets (normal range is 150-400) got down to 83. I had 2 blood transfusions. Carbogem to 105. Also 2 lots blood.

Knowing I tend to have a problem with all my blood counts I've been taking papaya leaf tea since November, and in the main, it's succeeding in keeping platelets and neuts in normal range.

Just in case: the injection for the neuts is G-CSF.

Don't give up!

purfekt10 profile image
purfekt10 in reply to

Thank you for your reply. My platelets have dropped to as low as 36. My oncologist was being proactive in making sure there wasn't anything wrong with my bone marrow. Now we know it's just the Carboplatin. I see my oncologist this morning and I'll find out how he's going to treat me without being able to get Carboplatin.

in reply to purfekt10

You did get them doing odd things. Mine nose-dived to 19 on Niraparib for no very obvious reason, having been at 193 the month before. HgB and neuts also tumbled at the same time. The month after, all but the HgB were back to normal!

purfekt10 profile image
purfekt10 in reply to

My platelets have been very low for a few months even though they were normal before I started chemo.

purfekt10 profile image
purfekt10 in reply to

I saw my oncologist today and we agreed to add carboplatin back for the next chemo next Monday, but it will be reduced to half the dose. I am expecting that my platelets to go very low again, but I only have 2 chemo treatments left. Actually, my platelets came up quite a bit since last week. They were 63 and came up to 111. We haven't seen my platelets that high for a long time which leads me to believe the hematologist was right.

in reply to purfekt10

Sounds like a plan .... fingers crossed it works. xx

You may also like...

Carboplatin/Caelyx and low neutrophils

and completely wiped me out. When I had my blood tested a month later my neutrophils were 1.06 so I...

How to increase my platelet count naturally

I am undergoing chemotherapy (Carboplatin) for stage 1c2 ovarian cancer (endometrioid epithelial)...

Plaquettes (Platelets) very low again.

girls, My blood test arrived this morning and the platelets count is now down to 43 g/l (43,000...

Low Platelets

Visit to Oncologist today before my Chemo tomorrow. Ca125 dropped another 11 to 24 from thousands...

Low white blood count

am currently undergoing second line chemo combination carboplatin and gem cite. After my first...