Overview on the Side Effects of Doxorubicin

Abstract

Doxorubicin is an anthracycline antibiotic extracted from the bacterium Streptomyces peucetius. Its cytotoxic effect produced by intercalating with DNA causing breakdown of DNA strand which causes cancer cell apoptosis. Despite being an effective anticancer agent it causes several crucial side effects like carditoxicity, neuropathy, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, alopecia, typhlitis, myelosuppression, neutropenia, anaemia, thrombocytopenia, nausea, and diarrhoea were caused mainly due to the inability to distinguish between cancer cells and normal cells. This chapter mainly focuses on doxorubicin’s side effects, current understanding of the molecular mechanisms, and management and preventive strategies of doxorubicin’s cardiotoxicity during the treatment of various type of cancer.