Two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity in females with breast cancer.

Background: Cancer and cardiovascular diseases are the main causes of mortality worldwide. Although the incidence of cancer is rising, modern comprehensive management including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy led to decreased mortality, but also different cardiovascular complications. Conventional EF measurement fails to detect subtle changes in LV function, so a more sensitive tool is needed.

Methods: The study included 101 asymptomatic female patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer who received anthracycline ± trastuzumab-based chemotherapy regimen. A comprehensive echocardiographic examination was performed before receiving the chemotherapy (T0), at 3 months (T1), and at 6 months after (T2). All patients had pre-treatment normal LV EF. Asymptomatic CTRCD is defined as: severe if new LVEF reduction to < 40%, moderate if new LVEF reduction by ≥ 10 percentage points to an LVEF of 40-49% or new LVEF reduction by, 10 percentage points to an LVEF of 40- 49% and either new relative decline in GLS by .15% from baseline or new rise in cardiac biomarkers and mild if LVEF ≥ 50% and new relative decline in GLS by .15% from baseline and/or new rise in cardiac biomarkers. Symptomatic CTRCD is defined as: very severe if HF requiring inotropic support, mechanical circulatory support, or consideration of transplantation, severe if required hospitalization, moderate if required outpatient intensification of diuretic and HF therapy and mild if there are mild HF symptoms and no intensification of therapy required according to the latest ESC cardio oncology guidelines. The Lower reference value set for RV S' was less than 10cm/s to define RV systolic dysfunction according to ASE guidelines.

Results: CTRCD occurred in 24 patients (25.5%) while RV systolic dysfunction was more common occurring in 37 patients (39.4%). LV GLS at (T1) (cut-off value < -15% with relative 12.5% reduction from the baseline value) was a strong predictor of CTRCD, but combining LV GLS with RV GLS & RV FWLS was the strongest (AUC = 0.947, sensitivity = 91.67%, specificity = 90%).

Conclusion: Chemotherapy induces biventricular changes with more prevalent deterioration in RV values. Low LV & RV strain values at baseline together with reduction of these values after chemotherapy treatment can predict later CTRCD development. Combining LV GLS with RV GLS & FWLS values at (T1) is the strongest predictor of subsequent CTRCD.