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. 2014 Jan;4(1):74-9.
doi: 10.4103/2141-9248.126619.

An evaluation of hepatotoxicity in breast cancer patients receiving injection Doxorubicin

G Damodar  1 , T Smitha  1 , S Gopinath  1 , S Vijayakumar  1 , Ya Rao  2
Affiliations

An evaluation of hepatotoxicity in breast cancer patients receiving injection Doxorubicin

G Damodar et al. Ann Med Health Sci Res. 2014 Jan.

Abstract

Background: Hepatic dysfunction in the cancer unit has a significant impact on patient outcomes. The therapeutic application of anthracycline antibiotics are limited by side-effects mainly myelosuppression, chronic cardiotoxicity, and hepatotoxicity.

Aim: To assess the risk of Hepatotoxicity in breast cancer patients receiving Inj. Doxorubicin.

Subjects and methods: The investigation was a prospective study that was conducted in cancer patients receiving Inj. Doxorubicin doses of 50 mg/m(2), and 75 mg/m(2) at a South Indian tertiary care hospital. Sample collection was carried out from pre-chemotherapy to 4(th) cycle. Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), direct bilirubin and total bilirubin were assessed to determine hepatotoxicity. Data were analyzed using unpaired t-test, Pearson correlation using Graph-Pad Prism version 5.00 for Windows, Graph-Pad Software, San Diego, California, USA, www.graphpad.com.

Results: Breast cancer patients comprised 37% (49/132) of the total female cancer patient population, of which 46 patients with a mean age of 46.6 (13.4) years were included and 30.4% (14/46) patients were developed hepatotoxicity. The mean standard deviation of SGOT, SGPT, direct bilirubin, total bilirubin in the pre-chemotherapy cycle to fourth chemotherapy cycle were found to be 21.97 (5.798) U/L and 181.3 (103.6) U/L, 23.17 (6.237) U/L and 147.6 (90.9) U/L, 0.1351 (0.1186) mg/dL and 0.5445 (0.4587) mg/dL, 0.3094 (1.346) mg/dL and 2.7163 (1.898) mg/dL simultaneously where P < 0.05 which were statistically significant.

Conclusion: There exist a strong correlation between the use of Inj. Doxorubicin and risk for developing hepatotoxicity. The health-care professionals dealing with breast cancer patients need to have awareness for hepatotoxicity with the use of Inj. Doxorubicin therapy.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Doxorubicin; Hepatotoxicity; Patient outcomes; South India.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase levels during treatment among hepatotoxic patients
Figure 2
Figure 2
Serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase levels during treatment among hepatotoxic patients
Figure 3
Figure 3
Direct bilirubin levels during treatment among hepatotoxic patients
Figure 4
Figure 4
Total bilirubin levels during treatment among hepatotoxic patients
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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