Incidence and risk markers of 5-fluorouracil and capecitabine cardiotoxicity in patients with colorectal cancer.

Fluoropyrimidines are mainstay chemotherapeutics in the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers and are also used to treat breast cancer and head and neck cancers. However, 5-flourouracil (5-FU) and capecitabine may induce cardiotoxicity that mostly presents as acute coronary syndromes. We compared the incidence of cardiotoxicity induced by 5-FU and capecitabine in patients with colorectal cancer and sought to identify risk markers for cardiotoxicity.

Long-term heart function after adjuvant epirubicin chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Background: Newer studies raise concern that adjuvant anthracycline treatment for breast cancer (BC) causes long-term heart damage. We aimed to examine whether heart failure or impairment could be demonstrated several years after low-dose epirubicin-based adjuvant treatment.

Material And Methods: The study-population was a historical cohort comprising 980 women who were randomized to receive one of two adjuvant regimens for treatment for BC: 7-9 cycles of cyclophosphamide-epirubicin-5-fluorouracil [CEF (600 + 60 + 600 mg/m(2))] or cyclophosphamide-methotrexate-5- fluorouracil [CMF (600 + 40 + 600 mg/m(2))].

Left ventricular assist device as bridge to recovery for anthracycline-induced terminal heart failure.

Anthracycline treatments are hampered by dose-related cardiotoxicity, frequently leading to heart failure (HF) with a very poor prognosis. The authors report a case of a 19-year-old man developing HF after anthracycline treatment for Ewing sarcoma. Despite medical treatment, his condition deteriorated to terminal HF, leading to implantation of a mechanical left ventricular assist device (LVAD).

Tissue-Doppler assessment of cardiac left ventricular function during short-term adjuvant epirubicin therapy for breast cancer.

Background: It has been hypothesized that the extent of acute anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity reflects the risk for late development of heart failure. The aim of this study was to examine if short-term changes in cardiac function can be detected even after low-dose adjuvant epirubicin therapy for breast cancer when using Doppler tissue imaging of longitudinal left ventricular function.

Methods: Eighty consecutive women in good cardiopulmonary health scheduled to undergo adjuvant treatment for breast cancer were included.

Systolic versus diastolic cardiac function variables during epirubicin treatment for breast cancer.

Anthracyclines are important in the treatment of numerous malignant diseases but the use is limited by a risk of heart failure (CHF). LVEF (left ventricular ejection fraction) measurements by radionuclide ventriculography with multiple gated acquisition (MUGA) is often used for cardiac monitoring. However, diastolic variables have been proposed as sensitive supplements.

Anthracycline-induced chronic cardiotoxicity and heart failure.

Anthracyclines are effective drugs used in a wide range of malignant diseases. The drugs have frequent, serious adverse effects including cardiotoxicity and resulting heart failure. Systematic reviews, meta-analyses and other relevant studies were identified using the Cochrane and the Medline databases.