PROLONGED CORRECTED QT DISPERSION - EARLY SIGN OF DOXORUBICIN CARDIOTOXICITY

The anthracyclines are antibiotics effective in the treatment of many malignancies. However, their usefulness is limited by the development of potentially acute or chronic cardiotoxicity. No definitive guidelin es exist for monitoring cardiac function during and after anthracyclin es although methods have been suggested. Electrocardiograms and echoca rdiograms are routinely utilized for noninvasive assessment of myocard ial function. The aim of the study was to assess the effects of doxoru bicin on ventricular repolarization time indexes, as they have been sh own to be effective in the identification of electrical myocardial ins tability and hence in the identification of the risk for either arrhyt hmia or heart failure. Electrocardiographic parameters were compared i n 27 cancer patients before and after chemotherapy including doxorubic in. The data of the present study show that after only a short period of treatment with doxorubicin there is a significant increase in ventr icular recovery time indexes (QTc dispersion and 'Adjusted' QTc disper sion). The relation between the electrophysiological response to doxor ubicin and the potential cardiotoxic effect of this drug remains to be established through prospective studies.