Carboplatin dosing using the Calvert formula requires monitoring which parameter as part of protocol?

• A. Trough levels
• B. Daily WBC
• C. Serum potassium
• D. Platelet count

Answer: (A)

Calvert dosing for carboplatin is all about achieving a specific drug exposure (target AUC) while accounting for how quickly the patient clears the drug, which depends on renal function. The dose is calculated as target AUC times (glomerular filtration rate or creatinine clearance plus 25). Because the amount of drug a patient can handle hinges on how well their kidneys are working, monitoring renal function is the key parameter in the protocol. Trough drug levels aren’t used to set the carboplatin dose in this formula, since exposure is tied to renal clearance rather than a steady-state plasma trough measurement. The other labs—white blood cell count, platelet count, and electrolytes like potassium—are tracked to watch for toxicity during treatment, not to determine the dose.