Cardiology and Angiology: An International Journal

Background: Breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women of all ages. As age increases, so does the risk of both cancer and cardiovascular diseases, heightening the likelihood of short-term and long-term cardiovascular side effects. Therefore, strategies for early diagnosis and prevention of cardiotoxicity are crucial. he optimal use of conventional echocardiographic parameters is important, especially given the limited access to advanced echocardiography in developing countries.

Aims: To evaluate changes in left ventricular (LV) ultrasound parameters, including diastolic parameters, in postmenopausal women with breast cancer (BC), as a high-risk group receiving anthracycline-trastuzumab-containing regimens.

Study Design: A prospective 24-month single-center study.

Place and Duration of Study: From December 2019 to March 2024 at the ultrasound laboratory of Tbilisi State University Medical Center, Tbilisi, Georgia

Methodology: Seventy-four postmenopausal patients with primary BC receiving anthracycline or anthracycline-trastuzumab were assessed for LV systolic and diastolic parameters before the anticancer therapy and at six subsequent visits. Cardio-protection was administered to high-risk patients preventively and to others when cardiotoxicity developed. Multiple regression was used to estimate relationships between various independent and dependent variables. Cardiotoxicity was assessed using survival analysis tools (Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional model).

Results: The two-year CTRCD survival rate was 63.5%. During the 2-year follow-up, the mean E/e' increased across the entire cohort, but remained within the normal range. E/e' >15 was noted only in CTRCD patients at 6^th month mark (4.1%, n=3, P=.056) within the high-risk group, peaking at 9^th month (10.8%, n=8, P< .00). Multiple regression indicated a significant association of IVRT baseline value with late cardiotoxicity (adj. beta-coefficient= 0.32; t = 2.73, P=.008) and DT baseline value with early cardiotoxicity (adj. beta-coefficient = -0.25; t = -3.31, P=0.002). GLS demonstrated predictive value from the first month in 13.5% of the cohort and in 34.5% of patients with CTRCD (P< .00).

Conclusion: Our 2-year longitudinal prospective study of anthracycline–trastuzumab-containing regimens in postmenopausal women with early BC revealed that: 1) Predictive association of E/e' with cardiotoxicity was not detected. 2) A reliable association with late cardiotoxicity (T7) from the diastolic parameters was revealed only by IVRT baseline value 3) A reliable association with early cardiotoxicity (T4) from diastolic parameters was revealed only by DT baseline. 4)GLS is superior to E/e' in its prognostic value and diagnostic ability of cardiotoxicity .