New Tool Predicts and Safeguards Cancer Patients from Chemotherapy-Induced Kidney Damage

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed an innovative tool to predict and safeguard cancer patients from chemotherapy-induced kidney damage. The tool, developed in collaboration with researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and other institutions, utilizes patient data from six major U.S. cancer centers, making it the largest and first generalizable study of its kind. Cisplatin, a widely used chemotherapy drug, is highly effective in treating cancer but can also cause kidney injury, potentially leading to the discontinuation of life-saving cancer treatments. The newly developed risk prediction model aims to identify patients at the highest risk of moderate-to-severe kidney injury after receiving cisplatin. According to the researchers, the highest-risk patients had as much as a 20-fold higher risk of developing kidney injury after cisplatin compared to those in the lowest-risk group.