Docetaxel with epirubicin--investigations on cardiac safety

The aim was to evaluate clinical and subclinical cardiac toxicity of epirubicin-docetaxel (ET) combination. Breast cancer patients were given epirubicin (75 mg/m2 for 15 min), followed 1 h later by a 1-h infusion of docetaxel (75 mg/m2) q3w as first-line treatment. Cardiac function was monitored using a 24-h ambulatory electrocardiogram (ECG), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), physical examination and chest radiography. The median LVEF did not decrease during the course of the treatment: median LVEF was 64% prior to treatment and 68% after cycle 8. The 24-h ECG did not reveal any significant changes in heart rate variability. The number of extrasystoles or cardiac arrhythmia did not increase with the ET treatment. No patient experienced congestive heart failure during treatment or the mean follow-up of 34 months. We conclude that first-line ET caused no major cardiac changes during 6 months of treatment (8 cycles) or during follow-up. Twenty-four-hour ECG, combined with echocardiography to measure LVEF, was a feasible method for the close monitoring of the cardiac effects during chemotherapy.