USE OF ICRF-187 FOR PREVENTION OF ANTHRACYCLINE CARDIOTOXICITY IN CHILDREN - PRELIMINARY-RESULTS

The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of ICRF-187 as a protective agent against anthracycline cardiotoxicity. Cardiac functi on was evaluated by echocardiography before and after each cycle of an thracycline chemotherapy associated with ICRF-187 and compared with th at of a second group receiving anthracycline chemotherapy without ICRF -187. The patients were a group of 15 consecutive children affected wi th various types of solid tuners who were treated with either doxorubi cin-daunomycin or epirubicin (average doses 340 and 280 mg/m(2), respe ctively), and treatment was associated with ICRF-187. A second group o f 15 consecutive children affected With different malignancies werre s imultaneously treated with either doxorubicin-daunomycin or epirubicin (average doses 309 and 270 mg/m(2), respectively), but without ICRF-1 87 association. None of the patients treated with anthracyclines and I CRF-187 association showed abnormalities on echocardiographic examinat ion. In the second group of patients treated with anthracyclines but w ithout ICRF-187 association, we observed a decrease in the left ventri cular ejection fraction to <55% and a decrease in the left ventricular fractional shortening to <28% in two patients (13.3%). One of these ( 6.6%) showed a dilatative cardiomyopathy. Both groups of patients were treated with low doses of anthracyclines. Although this study was not randomized, in patients without ICRF-87 cardioprotection, there was a trend for a worse evolution with one case of clinical cardiomyopathy as well as subclinical cardiac abnormalities.