Cisplatin

A platinum coordination compound whose main mode of action resembles that of alkylating agents with production of cross links between the two strands of DNA in the double helix so that DNA cannot be replicated and the cells cannot divide. It is used as an antineoplastic agent in the treatment of metastatic tumors of the testis, ovary, bladder, and head and neck. It can cause serious damage to the kidney, eighth cranial nerve, gastrointestinal tract, and bone marrow, can upset metabolic processes, and can produce hypocalcemia and hypomagnesemia.