BACKGROUND The development of hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) to carboplatin can interrupt anticancer treatment and may shorten patient survival. Several studies have evaluated the risk factors for carboplatin HSRs, but the results have been inconclusive.

OBJECTIVE This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to establish a consensus on the risk factors of HSRs to carboplatin in patients with cancer.

METHODS Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, relevant studies were searched across MEDLINE, Embase, and Korean Medical Database. Inclusion criteria focused on original articles of case-control or cohort studies that evaluated risk factors for carboplatin HSRs in patients with cancer. Exclusion criteria targeted articles with incomplete or overlapping data. The latest search and quality assessment of the included studies, using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale, was performed on February 1, 2023.

RESULTS Among 1,182 articles identified, 19 studies were included in the final systematic review and meta-analysis. The identified risk factors for carboplatin hypersensitivity included a history of allergy to medicines, food, or environmental factors (odds ratio [OR] = 1.76; 95% CI, 1.46-2.12), BRCA mutation (OR = 4.03; 95% CI, 2.00-8.13), carboplatin free interval of 12 months or more (OR = 4.93; 95% CI, 2.89-8.40), increased cumulative dose (standardized mean difference, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.41-0.75), relapse (OR = 2.26; 95% CI, 1.58-3.25), and younger age (standardized mean difference, -0.15; 95% CI, -0.26 to -0.03).

CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this meta-analysis provides the first comprehensive quantitative evaluation of risk factors for carboplatin HSRs in patients with cancer. These findings can guide the development of personalized risk assessment tools and preventive strategies, potentially improving patient safety and treatment outcomes in carboplatin-based chemotherapy.