US research presented at COSA in Perth this week shows that not enough carboplatin crosses the placental barrier to have a toxic effect on foetal kidneys.
Perfusing nine full term human placentas at various carboplatin concentrations, the researchers found that standard doses of the chemotherapy could be safely used in pregnancy.
“We have been able to show that in using carboplatin for women who are pregnant, only a minimal amount is able to cross the placenta barrier,” lead researcher Dr Judith Smith from UT MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston, USA said.
“This will also come as a relief for oncologists who often agonise over whether their recommendation of chemotherapy might have resulted in harm to the foetus.
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