The use of dexrazoxane for the prevention of anthracycline extravasation injury.

BACKGROUND

The use of the anthracycline anticancer drugs doxorubicin, daunorubicin, epirubicin and idarubicin sometimes results in accidental extravasation injury and can be a serious complication of their use.

OBJECTIVE

The object of this review was to evaluate the preclinical and clinical literature on the use of dexrazoxane in preventing anthracycline-induced extravasation injury.

METHODS

A review of the literature was carried out using PubMed.

RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: Dexrazoxane, which is clinically used to reduce doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity, has been shown in two clinical studies and in several case reports to be highly efficacious in preventing anthracycline-induced extravasation injury. Dexrazoxane is a prodrug analog of the metal chelator EDTA that likely acts by removing iron from the iron-anthracycline complex, thus preventing formation of damaging reactive oxygen species.