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Cisplatin or cisplatinum (trade names Platinol) is a cytotoxic chemotherapy drug.

It is used to treat various types of cancers, including:

• sarcomas
• small cell lung cancer
• ovarian cancer
• lymphomas
• cervical cancer
• germ cell tumors.

Cisplatin was the first platinum-containing anti-cancer drugs, which now also includes carboplatin and oxaliplatin. These platinum complexes react in vivo, binding to and causing crosslinking of DNA, which ultimately triggers apoptosis (programmed cell death).

Side effects of Cisplatinum include:

• Nephrotoxicity (kidney damage)
• Neurotoxicity (nerve damage)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Ototoxicity (hearing loss)
• Electrolyte disturbance

There are many different kinds of cancers. In fact, there are as many different cancers as there are tissue types in the body. The diversity of human tissue is incredible and it is possible for cancers to arise from almost any site and many cell types. However, there are probably 20 or so dominant types of cancer.  Although there are many kinds of cancer, they all start because abnormal cells grow out of control. From another point of view, there are as many different types of cancer as there are different types of human cell- just over 200. However, cancers can be broadly grouped into four types, depending on which tissues they come from.

• Carcinomas: arise from the cells that cover external and internal body surfaces. For example, lung, breast, and colon.
• Sarcomas: arise from cells found in the supporting tissues of the body such as bone, cartilage, fat, connective tissue and muscle.
• Lymphomas: arise in the lymph nodes and tissues of the body's immune system.
• Leukaemias: arise from immature blood cells that grow in the bone marrow and tend to accumulate in large numbers in the bloodstream.

Cancer occurs when a single cell starts to divide repeatedly, producing abnormal copies of itself, rather than dividing ocassionally just to replace worn out cells. If the imune system does not destro these cells , they continue to to reproduce and invade surrounding tissue. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph  systems. Cancer is not just one disease but many diseases. Most cancers are named for the organ or type of cell in which they start: for example, cancer that begins in the breast is called breast cancer. Although there are more than 100 different types of cancer, cancers can be broadly grouped into four types, depending on which tissues they come from:

• Carcinomas: arise from the cells that cover external and internal body surfaces. For example, lung, breast, and colon.
• Sarcomas: arise from cells found in the supporting tissues of the body such as bone, cartilage, fat, connective tissue and muscle.
• Lymphomas: arise in the lymph nodes and tissues of the body's immune system.
• Leukaemias: arise from immature blood cells that grow in the bone marrow and tend to accumulate in large numbers in the bloodstream.