Anthracycline toxicity.

Anthracycline compounds are useful agents in cancer therapy. Major toxicities include mucositis and other gastrointestinal complications, myelodepression and cardiotoxicity. With the current multimodal cancer therapy, anthracycline toxicities may be potentiated by radiation treatment or other chemotherapeutic agents. The choice of anthracycline, drug combination, and drug schedule should be carefully evaluated to minimize toxicity.