Abstract 292P
Background
Anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity is the most common constraint of its use in the treatment of various types of cancer. This study aimed to investigate the benefits of adding L-carnitine and silymarin compared to anthracycline chemotherapy alone in patients with cancer.
Methods
83 patients were recruited from the Clinical Oncology Department, Tanta University, Egypt, and prospectively randomized to receive their anthracycline-containing therapeutic regimen, control group (n=33), anthracycline plus L-carnitine, L-carnitine group (n=25), or anthracycline plus silymarin, silymarin group (n= 25). Blood samples were collected at begging and after 6 months to measure LDH, CK-MB, cTn I, Anticardiolipin IgG, Fe, ferritin, and TIBC, and % of saturation. % EF was documented. Data were statistically analyzed by ANOVA and paired t-test. P <0.05 was statistically significant.
Results
The obtained data suggested that adding L-carnitine to anthracycline chemotherapy had a significant beneficial effect on %EF (p=0.003), anticardiolipin IgG (P=0.000), ferritin (P=0.000) , and TIBC(P=0.011) , and that adding silymarin to anthracycline chemotherapy had a significantly beneficial effect on anticardiolipin IgG (P=0.000), iron (p=0.001),ferritin (p= 0.000), TIBC (p=0.007) , and % saturation (p=0.001) silymarin group showed a significant decrease in iron profile compared to the L-carnitine group, supporting the hypothesis of silymarin iron chelating activity.
Conclusions
The co-administration of L-carnitine or silymarin with anthracycline-containing chemotherapy represents a new therapeutic strategy, especially silymarin, for better control of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity, as silymarin resulted in more beneficial effects on iron profile compared to anthracycline alone and anthracycline with L-carnitine.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
The authors.
Funding
Has not received any funding.
Disclosure
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.