Prolonging the dose of cancer chemotherapy can reduce side effects

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Stretching out a dose of anthracycline therapy over six or more hours reduces the risk of heart problems.
Anthracycline therapy, which includes drugs like daunorubicin and doxorubicin, is effective in treating solid tumors and blood cancer. But anthracyclines often cause heart damage, which is a serious concern. Researchers at the Emma Children's Hospital now report on a safer way of using anthracycline therapy.

Adult patients receiving anthracycline therapy over six or more hours had a lower rate of heart failure compared to patients receiving a shorter treatment. In an analysis of five studies involving 557 patients, the researchers found that the longer form of the treatment cut the risk of heart failure by nearly 75 per cent. In some of the studies, the prolonged dose also reduced the risk of weakened heart function, an associated side effect. For children, the few studies available did not seem to show any benefit for longer treatment. Anthracycline therapy continues to pose a risk of toxic effects on the heart in young patients, which may put them at risk of cardiac problems in later life.

Source
The Cochrane Library November 2006 Issue 4

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