Survivors of childhood malignancy have a significantly higher cardiovascular morbidity and mortality later in life. Anthracyclines are associated with marked cardiovascular toxicity and are therefore the major cause of cardiovascular events in this population group.

The aim of the study was to determine whether anthracyclines used for the treatment of malignant disease in childhood could increase arterial stiffness measured as the aortic pulse wave velocity (PWVao) and aortic augmentation index (AIxao).

A total of 119 children and adolescents aged 7–20 years were examined, 69 of them (mean age 13.69±4.45 years) having completed anthracycline therapy for malignant disease according to various protocols at least a year before. Study patients were free from clinical and laboratory signs of malignant or cardiac disease. Control group included 50 healthy children, mean age 12.68±3.22 years. Arterial stiffness was determined by measuring PWVao and AIxao using oscillometric method on an Arteriograph TensioMed device.

PWVao was higher (6.25±1.31 m/s vs. 5.64±0.66 m/s; P<0.001) and AIxao was higher (8.7±9.69% vs. 5.64±5.15%; P=0.044) in subjects with a history of anthracycline treatment as compared with control group.

PWVao and AIxao are significantly higher in patients treated a year or more before with anthracyclines as compared to healthy children. The effect of anthracyclines on late mortality in individuals treated for malignant disease in childhood may not be exclusively due to their cardiotoxicity, but also to the increased arterial stiffness