Preventive treatment approach of cardiac toxicity: The heart muscles
Even though we have in the past address health issues pertaining cardiac toxicity, it is still important for patients to be on the high alert and more so to embrace the preventive treatment approach to be safe from the dangers of cardiac toxicity complications. If we could succeed in the prevention aspect, we would be very healthy and comfortable. But with that entire story telling heart problems can be prevented by changing the quantity of drug administered (dose) to the patient at a time, method of administration and type of anthracycline. Besides that, in the process of making effort in trying to find workable solutions to this problem, a lot of special medications which are very effective in the prevention of the damages caused from doxorubicin have been developed. The following are some of the treatment options we have:
In the journey of preventive treatment approach of cardiac toxicity a lot will have to be done. However, one of the main ways to prevent cardiac toxicity is to limit the cumulative dose of drugs that damage the heart, and more so the anthracyclines. It is important to note that there is a defined amount of doxorubicin that can be given with a lesser risk of complications, like for instance if your total dose of doxorubicin is less than 550mg/m2, you may just have about 1% of experiencing cardiac toxicity. On the other hand when your total dose of doxorubicin is say between 560mg/m2 and 1155mg/m2, your risk is likely to go up to 30%.
Besides that experts have also established that individual patients will tolerate differently the medication of doxorubicin. Some patients may receive high doses of doxorubicin without ever developing heart damage while some have problems at relatively low doses of even less than 550mg/m2 total dose. These variances are all applicable when making effort in preventing the prevention and treatment of cardiac toxicity.
It has been noted in certain cases that there is some supporting evidence that the method of drug administration may affect the risk of cardiac toxicity. Rapid administration of drugs for instance may results in high blood levels, which is likely to cause more heart damage than if the same quantity of drugs given over or spread over a longer period of time. In other words giving smaller doses of drug more frequently can be a perfect prevention and Treatment of cardiac toxicity since it will be instrumental in decreasing the toxicity compared to large doses of drugs at longer intervals.
Preventive treatment approach of cardiac toxicity: Liposomal anthracyclines
The risk of cardiac toxicity from anthracyclines has been reduced by making them in a different way. Liposomal anthracyclines have been encapsulated, or enclosed in a liposome, a tiny globule of fat. Because of it capability to hide the drug in fat, it is able to stay in the body much longer because the immune system doesn’t target it for elimination and the liver doesn’t break it down as quickly either. The currently ongoing studies indicate that the risk of heart problems is considerably lower with liposomal doxorubicin formulations than with conventional doxorubicin. Types of liposomal anthracyclines include:
- Liposomal daunorubicin (DaunoXome®)
- Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Doxil®)
Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin has been studied most extensively and has demonstrated the most significant reductions in heart problems. Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin has shown a similar anti-cancer effect to doxorubicin, but with less cardiac toxicity. Finally, understanding preventive treatment approach of cardiac toxicity may be hard for many and if you are, then you may want to call doctor Dalal Akoury MD a veteran professional in preventive treatment approach and she will be of great help for you.
Preventive treatment approach of cardiac toxicity: The heart muscles
