Abstract

NAVARRETE-RODRIGUEZ, Elsy Maureen et al. Role of echocardiogram in children with cancer. Bol. Med. Hosp. Infant. Mex. [online]. 2013, vol.70, n.2, pp.133-137. ISSN 1665-1146.

Background. Currently, anthracyclines have been used in >50% of cancer treatment protocols in children. The clinical usefulness of these agents is limited by the onset of cardiomyopathy whose presence depends on the total dose of drug and usually is irreversible. Echocardiography is used to study anthracycline cardiotoxicity detection. The aim of this study was to describe the evolution of cardiac function reported by echocardiography for treatment of children with cancer whose medications contain anthracyclines. Methods. We included pediatric patients diagnosed with osteosarcoma and acute myeloid leukemia treated between January 2006 and May 2011 in the Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez. In the clinical files, values were documented for ejection fraction and shortening reported before each cycle, using descriptive statistics for reporting results. Results. The ejection fraction experiences virtually no changes until the 6th cycle of treatment to a cumulative dose of 332.5 mg/m²/sc, afterwards it demonstrates an accelerated decline. According to the shortening fraction, the most significant change occurs after the seventh cycle to a cumulative dose of 450 mg/m²/sc. Conclusions. Recognizing the damage that occurs during the early stages is a critical step in preventing complications. The challenge is to implement new tools that will allow us to achieve the objective of preventing or diagnosing subclinical disease.

Keywords : anthracyclines; cardiac function test; cardiotoxicity; echocardiogram.