[Continuous Holter cardiac monitoring and chemotherapy by combination with platinum and fluoro-uracil].

Thirty-three male patients (pts) were given cisplatin and fluoro-uracil (1 g/m2/d) in IV continuous infusion over 96 h, for the primary or palliative treatment of locally advanced head and neck cancer. The mean age was 52 +/- 7 years (range: 37-65). Patients underwent continuous ECG monitoring and were monitored for 22.4 +/- 1.5 h before FU infusion, 91.9 +/- 7.3 h during FU infusion and 18.5 +/- 2 h after 5FU infusion. Patients were given one cycle of chemotherapy (32 pts), two (25 pts) or three consecutive cycles (20 pts). Seventeen pts (53%) had supraventricular arrythmia, 15 pts (47%) had ventricular arrythmia and 10 pts (31%) had ST segment deviation. The ECG abnormalities were more frequent during the first cycle of chemotherapy. No previous clinical or ECG parameter was associated to ECG changes. Platin-induced hypomagnesemia and hypokaliemia probably increase incidence of cardiac abnormalities, during and after FU infusion.