Chronic cardiotoxicity in breast cancer patients: serial assessment of global left ventricular function, by radionuclide ejection fraction measurements

Radionuclide ejection fraction can non invasively, detect the chronic Adriamycin cardiotoxicity. The toxicity of Adriamycin is dose dependent, even at low cumulative levels; however, it does appear to be at least partially reversible over a period of weeks following cessation of therapy. The results also, indicate that mot all patients develop chronic Adriamycin toxicity, inspite of their low ejection fraction levels, however from the clinical point of view, the ejection fraction levels (E.P. rn) below 0.40, are enough to suspect a chronic cumulative effect of Adriamycin and to stop the Adriamycin administration. Since most patients treated with Adriamycin do not have prolonged survival after its discontinuation, assesment of cardiac function after many months or years become a difficult task