ABSTRACT
Drugs of the anthracycline class have been used to treat human malignancies since 1965. Several thousand analogues have been developed in the laboratory and hundreds studied in animal tumor systems. The first two anthracyclines reported in clinical studies, daunorubicin and doxorubicin (Adriamycin), remain in widespread use, although the newer analogues idarubicin and epirubicin are perceived by many to have a slightly improved therapeutic index (decreased mucosal and cardiac toxicity). Daunorubicin and idarubicin are regarded as drugs for the treatment of acute leukemias, although they are also active against solid tumors. Doxorubicin and epirubicin are used clinically against a broader spectrum of tumor types.
