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Electrocardiographic changes after adriamycin chemotherapy
Author(s) -
Ali M. Khalil,
Soto P. Alejandro,
Maroongroge David,
BekheitSaad Soad,
Buzdar Aman U.,
Blumenschein George R.,
Hortobagyi Gabriel N.,
Tashima Charles K.,
Wiseman Charles L.,
Shullenberger C. C.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197902)43:2<465::aid-cncr2820430210>3.0.co;2-r
Subject(s) - medicine , qrs complex , cardiology , heart failure , chemotherapy , doxorubicin , effusion , pleural effusion , cardiotoxicity , cardiomyopathy , surgery
Abstract The electrocardiograms of 146 patients with metastatic carcinoma of the breast were reviewed before, during, and after the patients received Adriamycin (Doxorubicin) chemotherapy (AD). The most significant electrocardiographic change occurred in the amplitude of the QRS voltage. Seven patients developed cardiomyopathy after AD and showed a significant decrease in QRS voltage. This decrease, however, was more severe at the onset of congestive heart failure than at conclusion of Adriamycin. In 35 patients with pleural effusion, there was an inverse relation between the extent of the effusion and the amplitude of QRS voltage in the absence of congestive heart failure. These results indicate that 1) the sudden and relatively severe decrease in QRS voltage with the onset of CHF limits the value of this ECG criterion for predicting early Adriamycin toxicity, and 2) caution should be exercised in the interpretation of QRS voltage changes in patients with significant pleural effusion. Cancer 43:465–471, 1979.