Amiodarone and radiation therapy sequelae

With the aging of our population, amiodarone, a cardiac antiarrhythmic, is being used with increasing frequency. Anecdotal reports have appeared describing unexpected mucosal as well as cutaneous toxicity in patients treated concurrently with external beam radiotherapy and oral amiodarone. We retrospectively reviewed 12 years of experience at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and found 10 cases wherein amiodarone was taken concurrently with external beam radiation therapy. In our series, there were no missed treatment fractions because of unexpected acute sequelae. We conclude that amiodarone use does not preclude the delivery of therapeutic radiotherapy.