Gemcitabine-induced supraventricular tachycardia.
The superior toxicity profile is one of the major reasons for the widespread use of gemcitabine in cancer treatment. Bone marrow suppression is the most common side effect, while non-hematological events are relatively infrequent. Cardiac toxicity is a rare complication and cardiac arrhythmia is even rarer. We report the case of a 67-year-old woman with metastatic breast cancer without a history of cardiac arrhythmia or ischemic heart disease who developed supraventricular tachycardia. The symptoms had started immediately after gemcitabine treatment. The arrhythmia responded poorly to common treatment and was eventually controlled by oral propranolol five days after admission. The present case suggests that supraventricular tachycardia may be triggered by gemcitabine even without underlying significant heart disease and may be resistant to conventional therapy.
Department of Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
Oshrat E
OE
Tayer-Shifman
Yakir
Y
Rottenberg
Mony
M
Shuvy
D000368:Aged; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011433:Propranolol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013617:Tachycardia, Supraventricular / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D011433:Propranolol; D000093542:Gemcitabine