title: Epirubicin cardiotoxicity: a study of 135 patients with advanced breast cancer.
abstract: The cardiotoxicity of epirubicin (EPI) was evaluated clinically, radiologically, with ECG, and with multiple ECG-gated radionuclide determination of the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) during rest in 135 patients with advanced breast cancer. The EPI doses were 60 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 every 4 weeks or 45 mg/m2 plus vindesine 3 mg/m2 on the same schedule. The median cumulative dose of EPI was 500 mg/m2 (range, 47 to 1,563). Eight of the 135 patients developed congestive heart failure (CHF). Of 67 patients treated with EPI less than 500 mg/m2, none developed CHF. Among 48 patients treated with doses between 500 and 1,000 mg/m2, one had CHF (2%; 95% confidence limits, 0.1 to 11.1). Among 20 patients who received EPI from 1,000 to 1,563 mg/m2, seven developed CHF (35%; 95% confidence limits, 15.4 to 59.2). Four patients died due to cardiotoxicity. The risk of EPI cardiotoxicity at the present schedule is considerable at doses above 1,000 mg/m2. At doses between 500 and 1,000 mg/m2 the risk of CHF decreases, and at doses below 500 mg/m2, it is negligible. For all patients, the prevalence of CHF was 6% and the sensitivity of LVEF high (95%), mainly due to the low incidence of CHF. Among the 20 patients who received EPI at more than 1,000 mg/m2, the prevalence of CHF was 35% and the sensitivity only 64%. The specificity was maximally 62%. Our results suggest that LVEF is of no value as a predictor for CHF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dombernowsky
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Munck
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fogh
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Brynjolf
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Havsteen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hansen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D015251:Epirubicin