Acute left ventricular failure following melphalan and fludarabine conditioning

Bone Marrow Transplant. 2001 Jul;28(1):101-3. doi: 10.1038/sj.bmt.1703098.

Abstract

Cardiotoxicity has rarely been reported as a complication of melphalan or fludarabine administration as single agents. Recently, melphalan and fludarabine have been used in combination as non-myeloablative conditioning chemotherapy prior to allogeneic stem cell transplantation. We have observed the development of severe left ventricular failure in three of 21 patients treated with this combination. Cardiotoxicity in this context has not previously been reported and has implications for the assessment, monitoring and treatment of patients undergoing pre-transplant conditioning with melphalan and fludarabine.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / administration & dosage
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / toxicity*
  • Female
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Melphalan / administration & dosage
  • Melphalan / toxicity*
  • Middle Aged
  • Multiple Myeloma / complications
  • Multiple Myeloma / therapy
  • Transplantation Conditioning / adverse effects*
  • Transplantation, Homologous
  • Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / chemically induced*
  • Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / etiology
  • Vidarabine / administration & dosage
  • Vidarabine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Vidarabine / toxicity*

Substances

  • Vidarabine
  • fludarabine
  • Melphalan