Abstract: 24 patients with non‐Hodgkin lymphoma were randomized into two multidrug regimens including either epirubicin (N = 12) or doxorubicin (N = 12) to establish the cardiotoxicity of each treatment modality. At cumulative doses of 400–500 mg/m2left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at rest determined by radionuclide angiocardiography decreased significantly more in the doxorubicin (‐ 15 ± 11 ) than in the epirubicin group (0 ± 13, p<0.005). During epirubicin therapy no clinically significant cardiotoxicity developed, but a decrease larger than 10 in LVEF was seen in 4 of 12 patients at a mean cumulative level of 450 mg/m2. During doxorubicin therapy 1 patient developed a heart failure at a cumulative level of 200 mg/m2and, altogether, in 7 patients LVEF decreased more than 10. The monitoring of cardiac toxicity is imperative in patients treated with doxorubicin and is advisable if the patient is expected to receive epirubicin at more than
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