Genetics of kidney problems after chemotherapy

Cisplatin is a type of drug to treat certain cancers. These include head, neck, testicular, ovarian, breast, and lung cancers. For some cancers, it works well. But, in some people, it can cause serious side effects. One of them is nephrotoxicity. This is when a drug damages the kidneys so they do not work right. About 1 in 3 people that receive cisplatin will get kidney damage. People with certain changes in a gene are more likely to get kidney damage. Scientists found a gene change linked to kidney damage after heart surgery. They also found changes in this same gene linked to kidney damage in cisplatin-treated mice. They think this same gene change may play a role in kidney damage after getting cisplatin. Researchers at Vanderbilt will use BioVU to look for people who received cisplatin. They will look for gene changes in those patients. They will check for a link between the gene changes and those who get kidney damage. If they find a link, they will check another group of patients to confirm the link. The results of the study may help doctors predict who is at risk for kidney damage. It may also lead to new ways to reduce the risk.