No abstract

(Rev Méd Chile 2008; 136:1311-6

Our study certified impaired left ventricular diastolic performance in patients with breast cancer treated with low total doses of epirubicin (< or = 450 mg/m2). We concluded that diastolic impairment is due to poor left ventricular compliance being an early marker of epirubicin cardiotoxicity that precedes systolic function alterations.

Anthracyclines confer an increased risk of cardiotoxicity. The authors evaluated left ventricular (LV) performance in patients treated with epirubicin. Sixty-eight patients with malignancies (study group), treated with epirubicin < or = 450 mg/m2, and a matched control group of 68 cancer patients who had not started chemotherapy were evaluated by Doppler echocardiography. The authors assessed LV diastolic function by measuring the transmitral flow: the maximal velocity of the E and A waves, the Emax/Amax ratio, the pressure half time of E wave (PHT), and the isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT). Global LV ejection fraction (LVEF) was estimated to determine the systolic performance. The authors documented alterations of the LV diastolic performance in the study group by finding a significant decrease in Emax, whereas Amax was significantly increased. Prolonged PHT and IVRT were also certified in the epirubicin-treated group compared with controls. No significant variation in LVEF between the 2 groups was detected.