What pretreatment test result is a priority to review before starting doxorubicin chemotherapy?

Ejection fraction testing is particularly critical to review prior to starting doxorubicin chemotherapy due to the cardiotoxic potential of this medication. Doxorubicin is known to cause damage to the heart muscle, which can lead to decreased cardiac function and heart failure. The ejection fraction is a measurement of how much blood the left ventricle pumps out with each contraction and is a key indicator of the heart's health and function.

Assessing the ejection fraction prior to treatment allows healthcare providers to identify patients who may be at higher risk of developing cardiac complications from doxorubicin. If a patient's ejection fraction is already low or impaired, alternative treatment strategies or close monitoring may be necessary to mitigate the risks associated with doxorubicin therapy.

While other tests, such as a complete blood count, liver function tests, and kidney function tests, are important in managing and monitoring patients receiving chemotherapy, they do not carry the same immediate risk of serious adverse effects related to heart function as the ejection fraction assessment does with doxorubicin. This makes ejection fraction testing a priority before initiating treatment with this particular agent.