ABSTRACT

Patients treated due to mediastinal lymphomas are at risk of cardiovascular complications, as they receive chemotherapy, usually containing anthracyclines, often combined with thoracic radiotherapy. The aim of this prospective study was to assess early asymptomatic cardiac dysfunction using resting and dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) at least 3 years after the end of mediastinal lymphoma treatment. Two groups of patients were compared: those treated with chemoradiotherapy and those exclusively treated with chemotherapy. Left ventricular contractile reserve (LVCR) during DSE was assessed using changes in LV ejection fraction (LVEF), LV global longitudinal strain (LV GLS), and a novel parameter-Force, which is the ratio of the systolic blood pressure to the LV end-systolic volume. The study included 60 patients examined at a median of 89 months after the end of treatment. Resting echocardiography showed normal LVEF of 58.9 ± 9.6%, borderline LV GLS of -17.7 ± 3%, decreased mean stroke volume (SV) of 51.4 ± 17 mL, and indexed SV of 27.3 ± 8 mL/m2, and the right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain (LS) was impaired in some patients but not in all. There were no significant differences between the groups, with the exception of arterial hypertension, which was more common in the chemotherapy group (32% vs. 62.5%, p= 0.04). In resting echocardiography, only LV posterior wall LS differed significantly and was impaired in patients treated with chemotherapy (-19.1 ± 3.1% vs. -16.5 ± 5.1%, p= 0.04). DSE, performed in 21 patients after a median of 166 months from the end of cancer treatment, detected new contractility disorders in 1 patient (4.8%) and decreased LVCR in the majority of patients when determined using changes in LVEF or LV GLS, and in all patients when assessed with changes in Force. Conclusions: Most asymptomatic mediastinal lymphoma survivors showed preserved ventricular function on resting echocardiography. However, all of them showed impaired LV contractile reserve on DSE, as assessed with a simple parameter-Force. This may indicate subtle LV dysfunction and confirms the need for long-term monitoring of patients with potentially cardiotoxic cancer treatment.

PMID:37240533 | PMC:PMC10219019 | DOI:10.3390/jcm12103427

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PubMed articles on: Cardio-Oncology

Primary Cardiac Schwannoma: A Meta-Analysis of Individual Case Reports

J Clin Med. 2023 May 9;12(10):3356. doi: 10.3390/jcm12103356.

ABSTRACT

Primary cardiac schwannoma (PCS) is a neurogenic tumor that arises from Schwann cells. Malignant schwannoma (MSh) is an aggressive cancer comprising 2% of all sarcomas. Information on the proper management of these tumors is limited. Four databases were searched for case reports/series of PCS. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Secondary outcomes included therapeutic strategies and the corresponding outcomes. Among 439 potentially eligible studies, 53 met the inclusion criteria. The patients included had 43.72 ± 17.76 years and 28.3% were males. Over 50% of patients had MSh, with 9.4% also demonstrating metastases. Schwannoma commonly occurs in the atria (66.0%). Left-sided PCS were more common than right-sided ones. Surgery was performed in almost 90% of the cases; chemotherapy and radiotherapy were used in 16.9% and 15.1% of cases, respectively. Compared to benign cases, MSh occurs at a younger age and is commonly located on the left side. OS of the entire cohort at 1 and 3 years were 60.7%, and 54.0%, respectively. Females and males OS were similar up to 2 years follow-up. Surgery was associated with higher OS (p < 0.01). Surgery is the primary treatment option for both benign and malignant cases and was the only factor associated with a relative improvement in survival.

PMID:37240461 | PMC:PMC10219427 | DOI:10.3390/jcm12103356

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PubMed articles on: Cardio-Oncology

Inflammasome Activity in the Skeletal Muscle and Heart of Rodent Models for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Int J Mol Sci. 2023 May 9;24(10):8497. doi: 10.3390/ijms24108497.

ABSTRACT

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is characterized by wasting of muscles that leads to difficulty moving and premature death, mainly from heart failure. Glucocorticoids are applied in the management of the disease, supporting the hypothesis that inflammation may be driver as well as target. However, the inflammatory mechanisms during progression of cardiac and skeletal muscle dysfunction are still not well characterized. Our objective was to characterize the inflammasomes in myocardial and skeletal muscle in rodent models of DMD. Gastrocnemius and heart samples were collected from mdxmice and DMDmdx rats (3 and 9-10 months). Inflammasome sensors and effectors were assessed by immunoblotting. Histology was used to assess leukocyte infiltration and fibrosis. In gastrocnemius, a tendency towards elevation of gasdermin D irrespective of the age of the animal was observed. The adaptor protein was elevated in the mdxmouse skeletal muscle and heart. Increased cleavage of the cytokines was observed in the skeletal muscle of the DMDmdx rats. Sensor or cytokine expression was not changed in the tissue samples of the mdxmice. In conclusion, inflammatory responses are distinct between the skeletal muscle and heart in relevant models of DMD. Inflammation tends to decrease over time, supporting the clinical observations that the efficacy of anti-inflammatory therapies might be more prominent in the early stage.

PMID:37239853 | PMC:PMC10218525 | DOI:10.3390/ijms24108497

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PubMed articles on: Cardio-Oncology

Radiation Therapy-Induced Cardiac Toxicity

2023 May 29. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan–.

ABSTRACT

Radiation therapy is an important component in the treatment of cancer. It may play a role as an adjuvant, neoadjuvant, palliative, or definitive therapy, with or without concurrent chemotherapy. Radiation is most commonly delivered as a local/regional treatment by an external beam consisting of photons, electrons, protons, or heavy particles but may also be delivered via brachytherapy (where a sealed radiation source is placed adjacent to the target) or systemically via unsealed sources. The side effects of radiation therapy are a function of the tissues included in the radiation field. Treatment of diseases within the thoracic region, such as Hodgkin lymphoma, lung, and breast cancer, carries the risk of radiation-induced cardiovascular toxicity (RICT).

Side effects of therapeutic radiation to the heart and coronary vessels include pericarditis, coronary artery disease (CAD), arrhythmias, cardiomyopathy, valvular dysfunction, and heart failure. Pericarditis and pericardial effusions are potential short-term toxicities that may occur during or within the weeks following treatment. Long-term side effects may present in the months to years after radiation therapy, possibly as late as 20 years or more post-treatment. Late toxicities include CAD, valvular heart disease, and heart failure.

Major risk factors that increase the likelihood of RICT include higher radiation doses, adjuvant treatment with cardiotoxic chemotherapy, irradiation of the left side of the thorax, and the presence of pre-existing cardiovascular disease. Studies have correlated the mean dose of radiation received by various heart sub-structures to the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE), such as hospitalization for heart failure, myocardial infarction, and even cardiac death. Given the importance of radiation therapy in treating cancer and the high prevalence of cardiovascular disease in Western populations, numerous preventive measures have been suggested and used in clinical practice, such as dose limitation, proton and particle therapy, conformal radiation therapy, and deep-inspiration breath-hold technique.

PMID:32119340 | Bookshelf:NBK554453

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PubMed articles on: Cardio-Oncology

Characterization of functioning in breast cancer survivors: an interpretive descriptive analysis study based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) and the Item-Perspective Classification Framework

Disabil Rehabil. 2023 May 26:1-19. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2023.2212915. Online ahead of print.