ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Even though antithrombotic therapy has probably little or even negative effects on the well-being of people with cancer during their last year of life, deprescribing antithrombotic therapy at the end of life is rare in practice. It is often continued until death, possibly resulting in excess bleeding, an increased disease burden and higher healthcare costs.

METHODS: The SERENITY consortium comprises researchers and clinicians from eight European countries with specialties in different clinical fields, epidemiology and psychology. SERENITY will use a comprehensive approach combining a realist review, flash mob research, epidemiological studies, and qualitative interviews. The results of these studies will be used in a Delphi process to reach a consensus on the optimal design of the shared decision support tool. Next, the shared decision support tool will be tested in a randomised controlled trial. A targeted implementation and dissemination plan will be developed to enable the use of the SERENITY tool across Europe, as well as its incorporation in clinical guidelines and policies. The entire project is funded by Horizon Europe.

RESULTS: SERENITY will develop an information-driven shared decision support tool that will facilitate treatment decisions regarding the appropriate use of antithrombotic therapy in people with cancer at the end of life.

CONCLUSIONS: We aim to develop an intervention that guides the appropriate use of antithrombotic therapy, prevents bleeding complications, and saves healthcare costs. Hopefully, usage of the tool leads to enhanced empowerment and improved quality of life and treatment satisfaction of people with advanced cancer and their care givers.

PMID:37276718 | DOI:10.1016/j.thromres.2023.05.008

17:30

PubMed articles on: Cardio-Oncology

A Fondazione Italiana Linfomi cohort study of R-COMP vs R-CHOP in older patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Blood Adv. 2023 Jun 5:bloodadvances.2023009839. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023009839. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

R-CHOP is the most commonly used regimen worldwide for the upfront treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). However, it is associated with significant cardiotoxicity, especially in older patients. The R-COMP regimen, with non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin, may reduce the risk of cardiac events, but its efficacy has never been demonstrated in prospective trials. In this report, we describe the characteristics and outcome of DLBCL patients≥65 years prospectively enrolled in the Elderly Project by the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi and treated with full doses of R-CHOP or R-COMP per local practice. Starting from a dataset of 1163 cases, 383 (55%) were treated with R-CHOP and 308 (45%) with R-COMP. Patients treated with R-COMP were older (median age 76 vs 71 years), less frequently fit at simplified geriatric assessment (61% vs 88%, p<0.001),1, 32% vs 8%, p<0.001).

PMID:37276080 | DOI:10.1182/bloodadvances.2023009839

17:30

PubMed articles on: Cardio-Oncology

Levels of NT‑proBNP in patients with cancer

Oncol Lett. 2023 May 16;26(1):280. doi: 10.3892/ol.2023.13866. eCollection 2023 Jul.

ABSTRACT

At present, it is well known that natriuretic peptides may be produced by cancer cells. Stimulation of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) synthesis may be a reaction to activity of several proinflammatory cytokines. NT-proBNP is also a marker of myocardial damage during cardiotoxic chemotherapy by anthracyclines. The present study aimed to analyze the association between NT-proBNP and patient/disease characteristics in patients without cardiac symptoms. The present clinical study included 112 patients with cancer who were undergoing anticancer therapy between December 2017 and December 2021. From each patient, peripheral blood was obtained for detection of NT-proBNP before any therapy, after therapy and 1 year after the first sample. NT-proBNP was examined using an immunochemical method. The mean ± SEM value of NT-pro-BNP in the first, second and third sample was 561.0±75.1, 1,565.4±461.1 and 1,940.7±581.1 ng/l. A total of 15 (13.4%), 27 (24.1%) and 25 (30.1%) patients had elevated levels of NT-pro-BNP in the first, second and third sample above the normal value adjusted to age. It was observed that NT-proBNP was increased in older patients and in patients with progressive metastatic disease with poor prognosis. Patients with non-elevated NT-proBNP in the second and third sample had significantly improved OS compared with patients with elevated NT-proBNP [hazard ratio (HR), 0.47; 95% CI, 0.26-0.85; P=0.002 for the second sample; and HR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.14-0.60; P=0.0000007, for the third sample]. The baseline NT-proBNP value was not prognostic for OS (HR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.50-1.92; P=0.96). The present results suggest that the level of NT-proBNP was associated with the extent of oncologic disease. Higher levels were associated with progression of metastatic disease and shorter overall survival.

PMID:37274478 | PMC:PMC10236092 | DOI:10.3892/ol.2023.13866

17:30

PubMed articles on: Cardio-Oncology

Radiation-induced circulating microRNAs linked to echocardiography parameters after radiotherapy

Front Oncol. 2023 May 18;13:1150979. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1150979. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Patients treated with radiotherapy to the chest region are at risk of cardiac sequelae, however, identification of those with greatest risk of complications remains difficult. Here, we sought to determine whether short-term changes in circulating miRNA expression are related to measures of cardiac dysfunction in follow-up.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two parallel patient cohorts were enrolled and followed up for 3 years after completion of RT to treat left-sided breast cancer. In the primary group (N=28) we used a a panel of 752 miRNAs to identify miRNAs associated with radiation and cardiac indices at follow up. In the second, independent cohort (N=56) we validated those candidate miRNAs with a targeted qPCR panel. In both cohorts. serum samples were collected before RT, 24h after the last dose and 1 month after RT; cardiac echocardiography was performed 2.5-3 year after RT.

RESULTS: Seven miRNAs in the primary group showed marked changes in serum miRNAs immediately after RT compared to baseline and associations with cardiopulmonary dose-volume histogram metrics. Among those miRNAs: miR-15b-5p, miR-22-3p, miR-424-5p and miR-451a were confirmed to show significant decrease of expression 24 hours post-RT in the validation cohort. Moreover, miR-29c, miR-451 and miR-424 were correlated with the end-diastolic diameter of the left ventricle, which was also confirmed in multivariable analysis adjusting for RT-associated factors.

CONCLUSION: We identified a subset of circulating miRNAs predictive for cardiac function impairment in patients treated for left-sided breast cancer, although longer clinical observation could determine if these can be used to predict major clinical endpoints.

PMID:37274244 | PMC:PMC10232985 | DOI:10.3389/fonc.2023.1150979

17:30

PubMed articles on: Cardio-Oncology

Monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio as predictor of cancer therapy-related cardiotoxicity in patients with breast cancer: a pilot cohort study

Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2023 Jun 5. doi: 10.1007/s10549-023-06979-z. Online ahead of print.