Cardiac morphologic and functional changes induced by epirubicin chemotherapy.

Cardiac toxicity was evaluated in 24 patients who received epirubicin as a single chemotherapeutic agent, in doses of either 30 mg/m2 every week (11 patients) or 90 mg/m2 every 3 weeks (13 patients). The total doses of epirubicin ranged from 180 mg/m2 to 918 mg/m2 (mean, 491 +/- 187). No patient had prior heart disease, hypertension, mediastinal irradiation, or chemotherapy with other anthracycline agents.