A RISK-BENEFIT ASSESSMENT OF ANTHRACYCLINE ANTIBIOTICS IN ANTINEOPLASTIC THERAPY

The anthracycline antibiotics comprise a group of cytotoxic compounds with wide-ranging activity against human malignancies. They are used e xtensively for curative, adjuvant and palliative therapy, both as sing le agents and in combination regimens. They produce a number of advers e effects, some of which are shared by other cytotoxic drugs, The most important adverse effect is cardiotoxicity, which is unique to this c lass of compounds, Strategies have been devised to circumvent these ad verse effects, including the development of less toxic analogues, alte rations in scheduling, the addition of cardioprotectant agents and met hods of monitoring for cardiac abnormalities.