Left ventricular diastolic function with epirubicin therapy: an echodoppler study

Thirty patients undergoing epirubicin therapy for primary lung cancer were studied by echocardiography and Doppler echocardiography. 2 D ejection fraction (EF) and Doppler left ventricular filling parameters (peak E, peak A, E/A ratio) were calculated before and after the completion of therapy. No differences in the mean values of these parameters were observed. However, 6 out of 30 patients (20%) showed left ventricular filling abnormalities; in 2 of them a slight reduction of EF was also noted. These abnormalities seem to be dose related. A longer term prospective study will be required to evaluate whether these findings are irreversible and to establish the clinical implications of our observations.