Introduction: The objective of the submitted work is to assess by means of echocardiographic examination in patients in long-term remission after treatment of a malignity during childhood the incidence of altered left ventricular function and express an opinion on the presence of „late cardiotoxicity“. Patients and methods: The authors examined 155 patients who suffered during childhood or adolescence from a malignant disease and were treated by chemotherapy containing anthracyclines. The group comprised 90 boys and 65 girls aged 15 ± 4.9 years (5 - 29, median 15 years). The age at the time of establishment of the diagnosis and beginning of treatment was 8.6 ± 4.9 years (1 - 18, median 8 years). The mean follow up period of the patients was 7.3 ± 4 years (1 - 21, median 6.3 years). All patients achieved remission of the disease. The patients were given a cumulative dose of doxorubicin and possibly also daunorubicin (KD) 250 ± 131 mg/m2 (50 - 1200, median 240 mg/m2). The patients were examined by echocardiography at rest. The values of the ejection fraction (EF) < 55% and fractional shortening (FS) < 30% were considered pathological. The control group was formed by 40 healthy controls. Results: In 12 patients (8%) pathological FS values were recorded. Only in one patient (0.64%) cardiac failure developed based on cardiomyopathy. In all patients after chemotherapy, regardless of the FS and EF values, significantly worse values of the endsystolic wall stress, mVcfc, Tei’s index and isovolumic relaxation period were recorded as compared with the control group. A correlation was found between the administered cumulative dose of anthracycline and indicators of LV systolic function. No relationship was found with time indicators (age at time of diagnosis, follow up period). Conclusion: The authors diagnosed during a 6-year period after terminated oncological treatment in childhood in 11 patients subclinical cardiotoxicity (7%), in one patient cardiomyopathy withmanifestations of cardiac failure. Other indicators of subclinical damage, regardless of EF and FS values, include elevation of the afterload (endsystolic stress), impaired relaxation and elevated values of Tei’s index. The submitted findings justify the further follow up of patients and evaluation of the pertinent subclinical abnormalities after a longer time interval.

        Key words: late cardiotoxicity, anthracycline, echocardiography, child tumours