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Cardiotoxicity of epirubicin and doxorubicin: A double‐blind randomized study
Author(s) -
Lahtinen R.,
Kuikka J.,
Nousiainen T.,
Uusitupa M.,
Lansimies E.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
european journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1600-0609
pISSN - 0902-4441
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0609.1991.tb01543.x
Subject(s) - epirubicin , cardiotoxicity , ejection fraction , medicine , doxorubicin , cumulative dose , anthracycline , chemotherapy , cardiology , heart failure , cyclophosphamide , cancer , breast cancer
24 patients with non‐Hodgkin lymphoma were randomized into two multidrug regimens including either epirubicin (N = 12) or doxorubicin (N = 12) to establish the cardiotoxicity of each treatment modality. At cumulative doses of 400–500 mg/m 2 left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at rest determined by radionuclide angiocardiography decreased significantly more in the doxorubicin (‐ 15 ± 11 %) than in the epirubicin group (0 ± 13%, p < 0.005). During epirubicin therapy no clinically significant cardiotoxicity developed, but a decrease larger than 10% in LVEF was seen in 4 of 12 patients at a mean cumulative level of 450 mg/m 2 . During doxorubicin therapy 1 patient developed a heart failure at a cumulative level of 200 mg/m 2 and, altogether, in 7 patients LVEF decreased more than 10%. The monitoring of cardiac toxicity is imperative in patients treated with doxorubicin and is advisable if the patient is expected to receive epirubicin at more than 450 mg/m 2 .