Cardiac arrhythmia and ischaemic events after combination chemotherapy for testicular cancer.

Abstract

The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the type and the incidence of cardiac arrhythmias and ischaemic events in patients suffering from testicular cancer and submitted to combination chemotherapy with cisplatin, bleomycin and vinblastine (PVB) or etoposide (PEB). Forty-seven patients took part in the study; 23 were treated with PVB and 24 with PEB. Holter monitoring was performed in each patient before chemotherapy and on the 1st, 2nd and 5th day of the first cycle of drug administration. The results showed that combination chemotherapy with PVB or PEB was accompanied by the appearance of, or an increase in, the incidence of supraventricular ectopic beats. No significant difference was found between the two groups. No significant conduction disturbances were recorded. These results show that combination chemotherapy with PVB or PEB, at least during the first cycle, has no significant ventricular arrhythmogenic or ischaemic potency in young people with no history of cardiac disease.