title: Prospective evaluation of corrected QT intervals and arrhythmias after exposure to epirubicin, cyclophosphamide, and 5-fluorouracil in women with breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Corrected QT (QTc) interval prolongation can induce fatal arrhythmias such as torsade de pointes.
  
  
  METHODS
  To assess the characteristics of QTc intervals and arrhythmias in women with early breast cancer who received FEC100 adjuvant chemotherapy, electrocardiograms (ECGs) were recorded before and after each chemotherapy. Associations between QTc interval prolongation and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of potassium channel genes were also investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 131 ECG records were obtained in 34 patients who received 153 cycles of FEC100. QTc intervals could be measured in 127 records. There was a significant trend toward QTc interval prolongation after each treatment, persisting through four cycles of chemotherapy (P < 0.001). Median QTc interval prolongations were 13, 11, 18, and 14 ms in the first through fourth cycles of chemotherapy, respectively. QTc intervals differed significantly between cycles 1 and 4 before treatment as well as after treatment (P < 0.05). A single supraventricular premature contraction was noted in 3 (2.3%) of the 131 cycles in 2 (5.9%) of the 34 patients. There was no significant association between QTc interval prolongation and SNPs of potassium channel genes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This prospective study confirmed that FEC100 is associated with significant QTc interval prolongation in women with early breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology and Chemotherapy, Nagoya University Hospital.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitagawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology and Chemotherapy, Nagoya University Hospital.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawada
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology and Chemotherapy, Nagoya University Hospital.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology and Chemotherapy, Nagoya University Hospital.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inada
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology and Chemotherapy, Nagoya University Hospital.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mitsuma
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology and Chemotherapy, Nagoya University Hospital.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sawaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iino
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inden
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murohara
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology and Chemotherapy, Nagoya University Hospital. Electronic address: yando@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ando
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000235:genetics; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015221:Potassium Channels