- See: Chemotherapy Agents:
- Indications:
- acute leukemias and malignant lymphomas; non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and Hodgkin's disease; ca of the ovary; breast; sm cell of lung;
- Sarcomas: Osteogenic sarc, Ewing's, and soft tissue sarcomas;
- Metastatic ca of Breast, ca of bladder, bronchogenic ca, neuroblastoma;
- Precautions:
- care should be taken to avoid extravasation, since severe local vesicant action and tissue necrosis may result;
- patients should be advised that the drug may impart red color to urine;
- Cardiac toxicity is a unique characteristic of the anthracycline ATBs.
- look for ST changes on EKG;
- may cause "pericarditis myocarditis syndrome" (See Pericarditis);
- may cause CHF which is resistant to Digoxin
- Cardiotoxicity may begin at 250 mg/sq m but usually does not begin until a total dose of approximately 500 mg/sq m; thereafter the risk increases markedly;
- Note that Adriamycin is primarily metabolized and excreted by the liver, and must reduce the dose with renal failure.
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IIB osteosarcoma. Current management, local control, and survival statistics--Sao Paulo, Brazil.
A prospective study of topical dimethyl sulfoxide for treating anthracycline extravasation.