Cisplatin for Lung Cancer

Cisplatin is a chemotherapy drug that targets lung cancer cells, helping to reduce and manage the disease. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with lung cancer, cisplatin could play a crucial role in your treatment plan. Learn more about how it works and its potential benefits below.

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Written and Fact-Checked by: Lung Cancer Group

Last updated: January 13, 2025

Top Topics:

Cisplatin in Treatment Plans
What to Expect
Cisplatin Prognosis
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What Is Cisplatin for Lung Cancer?

Cisplatin is a powerful chemotherapy drug used to treat lung cancer, mesothelioma, and many other types of cancer.

This anticancer drug works by damaging the DNA of lung cancer cells, causing cell death and shrinking tumors.

Key Facts About Cisplatin

How it’s used: Doctors administer cisplatin with other chemotherapy drugs, surgery, and radiation in a multimodal treatment plan.
Potential side effects: Patients may experience hair loss, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and more.
When it’s used: It is often used for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It’s also a main chemotherapy treatment for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and mesothelioma.

Cisplatin is just one of many lung cancer treatments available that could help you or someone you love live longer. Get our Free Lung Cancer Guide to explore key treatments and financial compensation options to help cover health care expenses.

How Does Cisplatin Chemotherapy Work?

Cisplatin targets rapidly growing lung cancer cells by interfering with their DNA. Lung cancer cells are mutated forms of healthy cells and spread rapidly through the body, but cisplatin puts a stop to this.

Here’s a deeper look into how cisplatin works:

Binding: Cisplatin binds to the DNA in lung cancer cells, preventing them from dividing and spreading.
Cell death: As the cancer cells die, it becomes easier to slow the progression of cancer in a patient’s body.

As a result, more patients have lived longer thanks to cisplatin and other lung cancer treatments.

Cisplatin in Lung Cancer Treatment Plans

Cisplatin is often a first-line treatment (the initial one used after a lung cancer diagnosis). It is typically combined with other lung cancer treatments to help destroy as many tumors as possible so patients can live longer.

Cisplatin may be used:

As an adjuvant treatment: This means it is provided following surgery or other treatments to kill leftover cancer cells.
As a neoadjuvant treatment: Cisplatin can be provided before lung cancer surgery to shrink tumors so they’re easier to remove.
With other chemotherapies: Cisplatin may be used along with vinorelbine, docetaxel, pemetrexed, paclitaxel, gemcitabine, and other types of chemotherapy to destroy lung cancer tumors.
With other treatments: Doctors can combine cisplatin with lung cancer treatments like immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and radiation therapy.
In cancer research: Scientists continue to study new ways of using cisplatin in randomized clinical trials and systematic research.

Your lung cancer doctors can determine if cisplatin will be a good fit for your lung cancer treatment plan.

Call (877) 446-5767 now for help exploring lung cancer treatments like cisplatin and how to afford medical expenses.

Side Effects of Cisplatin for Lung Cancer

While cisplatin is highly effective, it has potential side effects and risks. Cisplatin leads to toxicity since it kills both healthy cells and cancer cells. Some of the most common side effects are nausea and vomiting.

Other side effects of cisplatin may include:

Fatigue and weakness
Hair loss
Hearing loss
Low blood cell and platelet counts
Peripheral neuropathy (tingling or numbness in hands and feet)
Renal toxicity (kidney damage)
Risk of infections due to weakened immune system

Some patients may also experience cisplatin resistance, where lung cancer tumors stop responding to the drug.

Your doctor will monitor you for any possible side effects and help you manage them. For example, they can give you medications to reduce nausea.

Doctors may also use another chemotherapy drug called carboplatin as a substitute for cisplatin. Carboplatin offers similar benefits with fewer side effects.

What to Expect During Cisplatin Lung Cancer Treatment Sessions

Cisplatin and other lung cancer chemotherapy drugs are given in cycles. This is where the patient receives an infusion intravenously (through an IV) and then has a recovery period before getting the next one.

Most patients receive one infusion every 3-4 weeks, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). A typical course of cisplatin includes 4-6 cycles for advanced or metastatic cases, so the whole process may take several months.

Here’s what you can expect:

Pre-treatment preparation: Your doctor will check your kidney function and blood count before starting each cycle. You may also receive anti-nausea medications to minimize discomfort.
Infusion process: Cisplatin is administered through an IV drip. The infusion process is carefully monitored by your medical team to ensure your safety. You may also receive fluids before and after the infusion to protect your kidneys.
Monitoring: Your health care team will monitor you closely for any reactions or complications during and after the session.
Post-treatment care: Following your cisplatin infusion, you may be advised to drink plenty of fluids to help flush the drug from your system and protect your kidneys.

The length of cisplatin treatment depends on factors like the stage of your lung cancer, your overall health, and how well your body responds to the drug.

Your oncologist (cancer doctor) will design a treatment schedule tailored to your specific needs and monitor your progress closely.

Get our Free Lung Cancer Guide now to learn about cisplatin and other treatments that could help you live longer after a diagnosis.

Lung Cancer Prognosis and Life Expectancy With Cisplatin

Cisplatin has been shown to improve many patients’ lung cancer prognosis, especially when used with other therapies. This chemotherapy can often effectively destroy cancer cells and tumors, giving patients a better chance of living longer.

Here’s how cisplatin can improve lung cancer life expectancy:

Patients with advanced NSCLC had an average life expectancy of over 2 years when treated with cisplatin and paclitaxel in a study from BMC Cancer.
In a 2022 study from the medical journal Oncology, SCLC patients lived for nearly 27 months with cisplatin if they had limited-stage cancer.

While cisplatin may not work for everyone, it can significantly enhance the quality of life and prolong survival for many patients. Your oncology team can determine if cisplatin will be a good fit for your treatment plan.

Clinical Trials on Cisplatin for Lung Cancer

Researchers are constantly exploring new ways to make lung cancer cisplatin more effective, ease toxicity, and prevent drug resistance through clinical trials.

Some notable examples include:

Cannabidiol and Cisplatin-Resistant NSCLC study: This 2022 trial revealed that cannabidiol (CBD) helped prevent lung cancer cells that resisted cisplatin from growing and spreading.
Pembrolizumab in Black NSCLC Patients study: This will look at how an immunotherapy called pembrolizumab (Keytruda®) can be used with or without cisplatin and pemetrexed to help Black NSCLC patients.
Nivolumab and Relatlimab vs. Pembrolizumab study: Doctors are investigating whether two immunotherapies, nivolumab (Opdivo®) and relatlimab (Opdualag™), are better for NSCLC than Keytruda. All patients will also receive pemetrexed and cisplatin in addition to these immunotherapies.

You can ask your lung cancer doctor about any clinical trials testing cisplatin that you may qualify for.

Cost of Cisplatin Chemotherapy for Lung Cancer

Cisplatin treatment costs can vary widely based on factors like dosage, number of cycles, and whether it’s combined with other therapies. However, the price can be out of reach for many families without financial help.

A 2024 report published in The European Journal of Cancer found that the average cost of a cancer treatment plan that included cisplatin was over $30,000. Even with insurance, the costs of treating lung cancer with cisplatin can greatly add up.

Lung Cancer Group is here to help you afford the costs of cisplatin and other lung cancer treatments. Get a Free Case Review to see if you may qualify for financial compensation.

Learn If Cisplatin Is Right for Your Lung Cancer Diagnosis

Cisplatin is incredibly beneficial for many lung cancer patients, helping to improve their overall survival and possibly become cancer-free.

If you’re considering this treatment, your medical team will evaluate factors like your type of lung cancer, overall health, and previous treatments (if any) to determine if cisplatin is right for you.

Lung Cancer Group can also help you explore treatment options like cisplatin and seek financial compensation to cover expenses, if eligible. Call (877) 446-5767 or get a Free Lung Cancer Guide to start the process.

Cisplatin for Lung Cancer FAQs

Is cisplatin a strong chemo?

Yes, cisplatin is a strong chemotherapy drug for lung cancer and other malignancies. Cisplatin damages the DNA of lung cancer cells to prevent them from spreading through the body.

Many lung cancer patients have lived longer by receiving cisplatin and other treatments.

What is the most common side effect of cisplatin?

Some of the most common side effects of cisplatin include nausea, vomiting, hair loss, and fatigue. Your lung cancer doctor will closely monitor your side effects and offer ways to manage them (such as providing painkillers or other medications).

What is the difference between carboplatin vs. cisplatin for lung cancer?

Cisplatin and carboplatin are both platinum-based chemotherapy drugs used to treat lung cancer.

Cisplatin is often the benchmark chemotherapy for lung cancer, but it can cause side effects and even toxicity. Doctors may recommend carboplatin if a patient develops severe side effects from cisplatin.

A 2022 study published in the medical journal Oncology noted that carboplatin can help small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients live almost as long as those treated with cisplatin. The study authors recommended making carboplatin the main chemotherapy used for SCLC.

Contact us now to see if you can get help affording cisplatin, carboplatin, or other lung cancer treatments, if eligible.

Can cisplatin and etoposide for small cell lung cancer help me?

Yes, combining the chemotherapy drugs cisplatin and etoposide could potentially help you live longer with SCLC. Cisplatin and etoposide are almost always used as part of a chemotherapy regimen for SCLC, according to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

In a 2021 study published in The American Journal of Translational Research, health care providers found that cisplatin and etoposide provided just as good of a survival benefit as combining etoposide with another chemotherapy, lobaplatin.

However, the combination of cisplatin and etoposide was ultimately deemed safer.

Are cisplatin and gemcitabine helpful for lung cancer?

A combination of cisplatin and gemcitabine in lung cancer is only helpful in some situations, according to a 2023 study published in The Journal of Clinical Oncology.

This study compared using cisplatin and gemcitabine to cisplatin and pemetrexed for advanced NSCLC. The researchers found that both combinations helped patients live for roughly the same amount of time, 10.3 months.

However, cisplatin and gemcitabine allowed patients with an NSCLC cell subtype known as squamous cell carcinoma to live nearly a month and a half longer than those treated with cisplatin and pemetrexed.

Can cisplatin improve your quality of life with lung cancer?

Yes, cisplatin can help shrink tumors and reduce symptoms caused by lung cancer, such as shortness of breath or pain.

While cisplatin has side effects, it can slow cancer progression or metastasis and improve your ability to complete daily activities. Some patients experience better outcomes when cisplatin is paired with additional treatments like immunotherapy.