Carboplatin Dose Calculator — Calvert Formula
Calculate a carboplatin dose using the Calvert formula (Dose = AUC × [CrCl + 25]) with creatinine clearance estimated by the Cockcroft-Gault equation from age, weight, sex and serum creatinine.
mg·min/mL
years
kg
Sex
mg/dL
Dose = AUC × (CrCl + 25). GFR capped at 125 mL/min per guideline recommendation.
- 1
Creatinine clearance (Cockcroft-Gault)
(140 − 60) × 70 ÷ (72 × 1) = 77.8Estimates glomerular filtration rate; × 0.85 applied for female patients. - 2
GFR used in Calvert (capped at 125)
min(77.8, 125) = 77.8 - 3
Carboplatin dose (Calvert)
5 × (77.8 + 25) = 514
How does this calculator work?
Carboplatin dose (mg) = Target AUC × (CrCl + 25). CrCl via Cockcroft-Gault: ((140 − age) × weight_kg) / (72 × SCr_mg/dL), × 0.85 for women. Cap GFR at 125 mL/min per guideline recommendation. At AUC 5 and CrCl 70 mL/min: dose ≈ 475 mg. Always confirm with an oncology pharmacist.
Formula
How this is calculated
Carboplatin, a platinum-based chemotherapy agent, is unusual in that its dose is individualised by renal function rather than body surface area. The Calvert formula (1989) relates the dose to the target area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC, mg·min/mL) and to creatinine clearance (CrCl), which approximates the glomerular filtration rate: Dose = AUC × (CrCl + 25). The constant 25 mL/min represents the non-renal component of carboplatin clearance.
This calculator estimates CrCl by the Cockcroft-Gault (C-G) equation: CrCl = ((140 − age) × weight_kg) / (72 × SCr_mg/dL), multiplied by 0.85 for female patients to account for lower average muscle mass. C-G remains standard in oncology practice, though it can over-estimate GFR in elderly, cachexic or obese patients; adjusted ideal body weight is recommended for obese patients at most institutions.
Many oncology guidelines recommend capping the GFR at 125 mL/min in the Calvert formula to prevent inadvertent overdose in patients with very high measured renal function; this calculator shows both the uncapped dose and the cap-adjusted dose. Typical AUC targets: AUC 4–6 in combination with paclitaxel or gemcitabine; AUC 5–7 as single-agent. All calculated doses must be verified by an oncology pharmacist or physician before administration — this tool is a reference aid only.
Frequently asked questions
Carboplatin is eliminated almost entirely by the kidneys, so renal function directly controls how long the drug lingers in plasma. Patients with better renal function clear it faster and need a larger dose to reach the same drug exposure (AUC). AUC-based dosing normalises the plasma exposure across patients more reliably than BSA-based dosing alone.
AUC targets depend on the regimen and treatment setting: AUC 2 for weekly dosing; AUC 4–6 in combination with paclitaxel (gynaecological or lung cancer; 3-weekly); AUC 5–7 for single-agent carboplatin; AUC 1.5–2 for radiosensitisation. The treating oncologist selects the target based on tumour type, prior therapy and patient tolerability.
When available, a directly measured GFR (e.g., EDTA or 51Cr-EDTA clearance, 24-hour urine creatinine) gives greater accuracy and should be substituted directly into the Calvert formula. Cockcroft-Gault is unreliable in extreme body compositions (sarcopenia, obesity) and may systematically over- or under-estimate GFR in elderly or oedematous patients.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Carboplatin Dose Calculator — Calvert Formula [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/carboplatin-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Carboplatin Dose Calculator — Calvert Formula." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/carboplatin-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Carboplatin Dose Calculator — Calvert Formula," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/carboplatin-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_carboplatin_calculator, title = {Carboplatin Dose Calculator — Calvert Formula}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/carboplatin-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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