Assessment of ventricular function by radionuclide angiography in patients receiving 4'-epidoxorubicin and mitoxantrone.

Serial assessment of ventricular function by means of radionuclide angiography was performed in 50 patients with malignant neoplasms who received either 4'-epidoxorubicin or mitoxantrone for longer than 3 months. In 9 of 30 patients given 4'-epidoxorubicin, a decrease of greater than or equal to 10% in the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was documented at doses of 143-1200 mg/m2. Two patients developed clinical signs of cardiotoxicity at a dose of greater than 1000 mg/m2. In 6 of 20 patients given mitoxantrone a decrease of greater than or equal to 10% in the LVEF occurred at doses of 26-98 mg/m2.