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Cardiovascular toxicity - chemotherapy
• Myocardial ischemia and infarction very rarely
• Cardiomyopathy (and pericarditis)
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Symptoms: non-specific; tachycardia, dyspnea, cardiomegaly,
peripheral and pulmonary edema
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Anthracyclines and high dose chemotherapy may produce fatal
cardiomyopathy
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Acute drop in ejection fraction (hrs-wks), pericardial effusion, chronic
heart failure
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Occurs 30 days – 1 year after treatment
•
No specific therapy; supportive care
• Diuretics, digitalis, ACE-inhibitors, b-blockers
•
Further use of anthracyclines is contra-indicated
19-9-2017