Long-term body retention and tissue distribution of platinum in cisplatin treated cancer patients

Abstract

Platmum levels have been determined in 145 samples from 24 tissues and 7 types of tumours from patients, treated with cisplatin. Sampled were 27 males (average age: 36 y, range: 22–63) and 19 females (average age: 52 y, range: 17–69), with an average total intravenous dose of 820 mg and 545 mg cisplatin, respectively. Samples were obtained via biopsy and autopsy, mostly 4–15 weeks after the last cisplatin administration. The long-term clearance of platinum from the tissues analyzed could be described by a first-order process with a half-life in the range of 175–300 days. The platinum fraction involved in the longterm total body clearance is estimated to be 22–38% of the total dose administered. However, the platinum clearance from a mature teratoma appeared to be much slower as measurable levels were detected 7.6 years after administration of the drug. The highest long-term platinum accumulations were found in liver, uterus, testes, ovary, and thyroid, and the lowest in brain and blood.