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Evaluation of cardiac function during adriamycin therapy
Author(s) -
Burg John R.,
Moseley H. Stephens,
Lindell Thomas D.,
Kremkau E. Louise,
Fletcher William S.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
journal of surgical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.201
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1096-9098
pISSN - 0022-4790
DOI - 10.1002/jso.2930060607
Subject(s) - medicine , cardiac decompensation , cardiac function curve , decompensation , subclinical infection , toxicity , cardiac toxicity , cardiology , creatine kinase , cumulative dose , heart failure
Left ventricular function was assessed in 21 patients treated with adriamycin, an antineoplastic antibiotic known to produce cardiac toxicity. The adriamycin dose utilized consisted of two loading courses (0.4 mg/kg for 3 days) separated by a 4‐day interval, followed by weekly doses of 0.4 mg/kg. The mean cumulative dose was 236 mg/m 2 (range 74‐715 mg/m 2 ). No patient developed frank cardiac decompensation during the period of observation. Significant changes in serum creatine phosphokinase levels or chest X‐rays were not seen. Electrocardiographic changes during therapy consisted of premature ventricular contractions and nonspecific ST‐T abnormalities in 4 and 5 patients, respectively. Subclinical alterations in cardiac performance definitely attributable to adriamycin, as evaluated by systolic time interval determinations, were not observed. Only one patient exceeded the critical level of 600 mg/m 2 described by other investigators as the point where irreversible cardiac decompensation may occur. Further studies will be necessary to determine whether cardiac toxicity can be predicted by systolic time interval analysis and aborted by early termination of therapy.