title: An evaluation of hepatotoxicity in breast cancer patients receiving injection Doxorubicin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatic dysfunction in the cancer unit has a significant impact on patient outcomes. The therapeutic application of anthracycline antibiotics are limited by side-effects mainly myelosuppression, chronic cardiotoxicity, and hepatotoxicity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the risk of Hepatotoxicity in breast cancer patients receiving Inj. Doxorubicin.
  
  
  METHODS
  The investigation was a prospective study that was conducted in cancer patients receiving Inj. Doxorubicin doses of 50 mg/m(2), and 75 mg/m(2) at a South Indian tertiary care hospital. Sample collection was carried out from pre-chemotherapy to 4(th) cycle. Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), direct bilirubin and total bilirubin were assessed to determine hepatotoxicity. Data were analyzed using unpaired t-test, Pearson correlation using Graph-Pad Prism version 5.00 for Windows, Graph-Pad Software, San Diego, California, USA, www.graphpad.com.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Breast cancer patients comprised 37% (49/132) of the total female cancer patient population, of which 46 patients with a mean age of 46.6 (13.4) years were included and 30.4% (14/46) patients were developed hepatotoxicity. The mean standard deviation of SGOT, SGPT, direct bilirubin, total bilirubin in the pre-chemotherapy cycle to fourth chemotherapy cycle were found to be 21.97 (5.798) U/L and 181.3 (103.6) U/L, 23.17 (6.237) U/L and 147.6 (90.9) U/L, 0.1351 (0.1186) mg/dL and 0.5445 (0.4587) mg/dL, 0.3094 (1.346) mg/dL and 2.7163 (1.898) mg/dL simultaneously where P < 0.05 which were statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There exist a strong correlation between the use of Inj. Doxorubicin and risk for developing hepatotoxicity. The health-care professionals dealing with breast cancer patients need to have awareness for hepatotoxicity with the use of Inj. Doxorubicin therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, Vaagdevi College of Pharmacy, Kakatiya University, Warangal, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Damodar
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, Vaagdevi College of Pharmacy, Kakatiya University, Warangal, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Smitha
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, Vaagdevi College of Pharmacy, Kakatiya University, Warangal, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gopinath
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, Vaagdevi College of Pharmacy, Kakatiya University, Warangal, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vijayakumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Kakatiya Medical College, MGM Hospital, Warangal, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Ya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rao
keywords: Breast cancer; Doxorubicin; Hepatotoxicity; Patient outcomes; South India