Changes in left ventricular systolic and diastolic function after chemotherapy for breast cancer with doxorubicin

Abstract

Introduction. Detection of the cardiotoxic effect during chemotherapy (CT) for malignant neoplasms is one of the most important tasks of a practicing physician. Purpose: to study changes in left ventricular systolic and diastolic function using echocardiography (EchoCG) during chemotherapy with doxorubicin in patients with primary breast cancer (BC) and to identify potential markers of early cardiotoxicity (CT).Material and Methods. The study included 100 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer who were treated at the health care institution “Grodno University Clinic” (Grodno, Belarus).Results. In the study sample, a number of EchoCG parameters were measured before and after chemotherapy in 100 patients with breast cancer. Depending on the choice of the threshold level of relative reduction in global longitudinal strain (GLS) in %, different median values were recorded in the subgroups with and without CT (before and after chemotherapy). Data are presented on the difference in the relative dynamics of EchoCG indicators in % between the subgroups with CT and without CT, which shows how large the differences between the subgroups are in % after the end of chemotherapy. Against the background of the absence of statistically significant differences, trends towards an increase or decrease in indicators were recorded, which can characterize them as potential CT markers.Conclusion. We hypothesize that indexed end-systolic volume, indexed end-diastolic volume, early diastolic peak velocity of lateral mitral annulus motion may be considered as potential CT markers in the subclinical stage along with GLS; if it is impossible to measure a relative decrease in GLS, these indicators collectively may indicate the development of a CT effect at the subclinical stage. When diagnosing a relative decrease in the GLS index by less than 15 %, but by more than 10 %, we propose to consider the indexed end-systolic volume index as a marker of the early CT effect if its increase after the end of chemotherapy is recorded by 10 % or more, respectively.