Acute arrhythmogenicity of first‐dose chemotherapeutic agents in children

Abstract

Conduction disturbances and arrhythmias are common in cancer children at the beginning of the therapy, but no acute or long-term adverse consequences are related to their appearance.

Zebrafish sp7:EGFP: A transgenic for studying otic vesicle formation, skeletogenesis, and bone regeneration

“…Thirty‐eight patients (20 boys, 18 girls) with an age range between 2 and 19 years (mean 8.5 ± 4.5 years) receiving chemotherapy for solid tumors were included in the study. The patients' diagnoses were as follows: rhabdomyosarcoma 7, neuroblastoma 6, non‐Hodgkin lymphoma 5, medulloblastoma 5, germ cell tumor 4, Wilms tumor 4, Ewing Sarcoma 3, Hodgkin lymphoma 1, osteosarcoma 1, periferal primitive neuroectodermal tumor 1, and optic glioma 1. The mean cumulative anthracycline dose was 244 ± 149 mg/m 2 (30–570 mg/m 2 ) for the 24 patients treated with daunorubicin and/or doxorubicin.…”

“…The appearance of arrhythmias on the basis of myocardial fibrosis because of progressive loss of myofibrils due to anthracyclines could be a major risk for sudden death 5. Furthermore, conduction disturbances and arrhythmias are common in cancer children at the beginning of the therapy 6. No acute or long‐term adverse consequences are generally related to their appearance.…”

“…However, lethal arrhythmias have been reported in adult patients 5,7. Acute cardiac arrhythmias have been observed in association with the administration of doxorubicin 6 and cisplatin 8. Combination chemotherapy such as carboplatin + procarbazine and cyclophosphamide + vincristine has also been shown to contribute to the development of postreatment arrhythmias 6.…”

Study of Cardiac Rate and Rhythm Patterns in Ambulatory and Hospitalized Children

“…When hospitalization is required, as is, for example, the case for the administration of chemotherapeutic agents in children with cancer, it is very difficult to study the cardiac toxicity and arrhythmogenicity of the condition or of the therapy [9] because the normal spectrum of heart rate and rhythms has been documented only on ambulatory recordings. Differences between recordings of ambulatory and hospitalized children are unlikely because rhythmic events occur mainly during sleep, such as minimal heart rate, marked sinus arrhythmia or conduction disorders.…”

Electrocardiographic findings after 5‐HT3 receptor antagonists and chemotherapy in children with cancer

“…However, lethal arrhythmias have been reported in adult patients [5,7]. Acute cardiac arrhythmias have been observed in association with the administration of doxorubicin [6] and cisplatin [8]. Combination chemotherapy such as carboplatin þ procarbazine and cyclophosphamide þ vincristine has also been shown to contribute to the development of postreatment arrhythmias [6].…”