Epirubicin  is an anthracycline drug used for chemotherapy. It can be used in combination with other medications to treat breast cancer in patients who have had surgery to remove the tumor. It is marketed by Pfizer under the trade name Ellence in the US and Pharmorubicin or Epirubicin Ebewe elsewhere. Similarly to other anthracyclines, epirubicin acts by intercalating DNA strands. Intercalation results in complex formation which inhibits DNA and RNA synthesis. It also triggers DNA cleavage by topoisomerase II, resulting in mechanisms that lead to cell death. Binding to cell membranes and plasma proteins may be involved in the compounds cytotoxic effects. Epirubicin also generates free radicals that cause cell and DNA damage. Epirubicin is favoured over doxorubicin, the most popular anthracycline, in some chemotherapy regimens as it appears to cause fewer side-effects. Epirubicin has a different spatial orientation of the hydroxyl group at the 4 carbon of the sugar - it has the opposite chirality - which may account for its faster elimination and reduced toxicity. Epirubicin is primarily used against breast and ovarian cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer and lymphomas. Medical uses
Adjuvant therapy
The aim of Epirubicin as adjuvanted therapy is to eradicate micro metastasis and prolong disease free survival. Vs standard adjuvant therapy
The Standard adjuvant therapy is a combination of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and fluorouracil (CMF). In comparison to this the Epirubicin therapy contains fluorouracil/epirubicin/cyclophosphamide (FEC). Three large randomized studies have directly compared the epirubicin-containing regimen fluorouracil/epirubicin/cyclophosphamide (FEC) with CMF in the adjuvant setting.
Clinical subcutaneous emphysema is a rare complication of emphysematous cystitis that has a poor prognosis. Risk factors
Risk factors include catheter use and chronic urinary tract infections, being female, diabetes mellitus, neurogenic bladder, and being in an immunocompromised state. In 50% of cases, patients are elderly and diabetic. Obstruction of the urinary tract as well as urinary stasis, often brought on by paralysis of the urinary tract, are also major risk factors in addition to diabetes. Transplant recipients have also been found to be at risk. Introduction of infection from external means was discovered in one case study where a male with no history of diabetes or abnormalities to his immune system had recently undergone a transrectal ultrasound needle-guided prostate biopsy contracted a severe case of sepsis, which led to a case of Emphysematous cystitis. The patient went on to develop disseminated intravascular coagulopathy and acute respiratory distress syndrome. After a stay in Intensive Care undergoing broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, the patient was eventually discharged in stable condition. Patients diagnosed with Emphysematous Cystitis are also commonly diagnosed with urinary tract infections and sepsis. Cases of Emphysematous Cystitis  in a clinical study have shown to progress quickly and are life-threatening and sometimes fatal due to inflammation caused by gas forming organisms. Diagnosis
Due to the atypical presentation and rarity of the infection, it takes a physician longer to diagnose than more common types of bladder infections. Diagnosis requires a personalized investigation with consideration to risk factors and symptoms.