Anthracyclines are potent anticancer agents and their use is limited because of their cardiotoxicity which differs from one patient to another and is also dependent on other concurring risk factors. The radionuclide ventriculography is the non-invasive trasteale method used to detect early variations in the Left Ventricular Function (LVF) using Anthracyclines. The LVF in 13 pts, with acute non lymphoblastic leukaemia, was analyzed using a Nuclear Stethoscope before and after induction therapy with daunorubicin (DNR) at the total dosage of 135 mg/m2. The mean age of this group was 59 +/- 5 years; 4 of these were female and 9 were male. In all pts the Ejection Fraction (EF) for the systolic phase and the Peak Filling Rate (PFR) for the diastolic phase were evaluated. Results. Before therapy: 1) normal value of EF (74 +/- 4%) in all pts; 2) normal value of PFR in 10 pts and a slightly reduced value in 3 pts (PFR middle 3.30 +/- 0.74 EDV/sec). After therapy: 1) no significant changes in EF (72 +/- 4%); 2) significant reduction of PFR values in all pts (PFR middle 2.71 +/- 0.48 EDV/sec; p less than 0.05).
Conclusions: the results show an early involvement of the diastolic phase (reduction of PFR) in patients who underwent DNR induction therapy. This is also evident from the normal EF values.