Which formula is most commonly used in the United States to estimate GFR for dosing carboplatin, and what parameters does it include?

• A. Cockcroft-Gault; uses age, weight, gender, and serum creatinine
• B. MDRD; uses age and serum creatinine
• C. CKD-EPI; uses race and serum creatinine
• D. Jelliffe; uses height and weight

Answer: (A)

For carboplatin dosing, the Calvert formula uses a creatinine clearance (CrCl) estimate to gauge renal function and then combines that with a fixed clearance boost (25 mL/min). In the United States, the Cockcroft-Gault equation is the standard way to estimate CrCl for this purpose. It takes into account age, body weight, sex, and serum creatinine, giving a patient-specific clearance that reflects how aging and body size affect kidney function. Since the Calvert dose is calculated as Target AUC × (CrCl + 25), having an accurate CrCl estimate that incorporates these factors makes Cockcroft-Gault the best choice for dosing. Other formulas focus more on chronic kidney disease staging or use different inputs (like race or height), and are not as commonly used for this bedside dosing calculation.