Author/Editor     Matos, Erika; Jug, Borut; Blagus, Rok; Zakotnik, Branko
Title     A prospective cohort study on cardiotoxicity of adjuvant trastuzumab therapy in breast cancer patients
Type     članek
Vol. and No.     Letnik 107, št. 1
Publication year     2016
Volume     str. 40-47
ISSN     0066-782X - Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia
Language     eng
Abstract     Cardiotoxicity is an important side effect of trastuzumab therapy and cardiac surveillance is recommended. OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to prospectively assess baseline patients' characteristics, level of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and echocardiographic parameters as possible predictors of trastuzumab-related cardiac dysfunction. METHODS: In a prospective cohort study, clinical, echocardiographic and neurohumoral assessment was performed at baseline, after 4, 8 and 12 months in breast cancer patients undergoing post-anthracycline (3-4 cycles) adjuvant therapy with trastuzumab. Trastuzumab-related cardiac dysfunction was defined as a decline of % 10% in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). RESULTS: 92 patients (mean age, 53.6 % 9.0 years) were included. Patients who developed trastuzumab-related LVEF decline % 10% (20.6%) during treatment had significantly higher baseline LVEF (70.7 % 4.4%) than those without (64.8 % 5.5%) (p = 0.0035). All other measured baseline parameters (age, body mass index, arterial hypertension, level of NT-proBNP and other echocardiographic parameters) were not identified as significant. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that baseline patient' characteristics, level of NT-proBNP and echocardiographic parameters, as long as they are within normal range, are not a reliable tool to predict early trastuzumab-related cardiac dysfunction in patients undergoing post-low dose anthracycline adjuvant trastuzumab therapy. A LVEF decline in patients with high-normal baseline level although statistically significant is not clinically relevant.
Keywords     trastuzumab
neželeni učinki
zdravljenje
rak dojke
trastuzumab
adverse effects
breast neoplasms
therapy