Pharmacokinetics of carboplatin and etoposide in a haemodialysis patient with Merkel-cell carcinoma

We present a Merkel-cell carcinoma patient with chronic renal failurerequiring haemodialysis and evaluate the pharmacokinetics of carboplatinand etoposide during haemodialysis. The area under the concentration-timecurve of carboplatin was increased by prolonging the interval betweenadministration and haemodialysis. However, that of etoposide was notchanged. Carboplatin showed good membrane permeability in haemodialysis,while etoposide showed no permeability. In conclusion, the pharmacokineticsof carboplatin could be controlled by haemodialysis and the intervalbetween chemotherapy and haemodialysis. However, the pharmacokinetics ofetoposide were not affected.