title: Myocardial function in children and adolescents after therapy with anthracyclines and chest irradiation.
abstract: Cardiotoxicity is a potential adverse effect of anthracycline (A) therapy. Radiotherapy (XRT) may also cause a variety of cardiac complications. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate these cardiac side-effects in children and adolescents treated for cancer. We assessed the cardiac status of 91 patients, divided into three groups: Group A (n = 53) had anthracyclines at a mean cumulative dose of 410 mg/m2, group A+XRT (n = 26) had both chest irradiation (XRT) and A (mean 360 mg/m2), and group XRT (n = 12) had XRT alone. The patients differed from the controls in both systolic and diastolic indices of myocardial function. In echocardiography, the left ventricular (LV) contractility was abnormal in 32% in group A, in 50% in group A+XRT, and in 8% in group XRT. In radionuclide cineangiography, the LV ejection fraction was subnormal in 19% in group A, in 24% in group A+XRT, and in 1 patient in group XRT. A higher cumulative dose of A predicted decreased contractility. Treatment with A and/or XRT often leads to cardiotoxicity. Although in most cases this cardiotoxicity seems to be mild and subclinical, the long-term clinical sequelae merit further evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pihkala
authors.forename: U M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Saarinen
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lundström
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Virtanen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Virkola
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Siimes
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pesonen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003630:Daunorubicin / Q000009:adverse effects; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003630:Daunorubicin