Abstract Background: Cardiotoxicity is a serious adverse effect of chemotherapy, often identified only after irreversible myocardial damage has occurred. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) using fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) allows for the evaluation of myocardial glucose metabolism and may help detect early metabolic changes related to chemotherapy. Objective: To assess changes in 18F-FDG standardized uptake values (SUVs) across different cardiac regions before and after chemotherapy in patients with lymphoma, and to identify which region exhibits the greatest increase. Methods: This retrospective […]

Abstract Cancer and cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of mortality worldwide. As these diseases share common metabolic pathways, patients with cancer are currently seen as having subclinical alterations with great potential for developing cardiovascular diseases (and vice versa). This tenuous interrelationship has led to the emergence of cardio-oncology (CO) as an area of study and discussion, with a major impact on the management of these cases. In clinical practice, CO is dominated by the dilemma of how to best […]

Abstract Background: The rise of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has significantly improved lung cancer outcomes; however, there is a lack of response prediction protocols. Furthermore, preclinical studies have indicated a promising association between metformin, β-blockers (BBs), and improved cancer patient outcomes. Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to investigate metformin’s impact on survival outcomes. The secondary objectives included assessing myocardial FDG uptake variation (change in standardized uptake value [ΔSUV]) during ICI treatment and evaluating the effects of smoking, […]

Radiotherapy (RT) has been part of oncological treatment since 1899 and is currently used with more than 50% of all patients. Breast, lung, esophagus, and lymphoma tumors are commonly submitted to RT treatment, showing improvements in the total survival and freedom from diseases. By contrast, when including mediastinal structures, such as the heart and blood vessels, in 10% to 30% of the patients, adverse cardiovascular events were observed after 5 and 10 years, defined as Radiation-Induced Heart Disease (RIHD)., The […]

Abstract Background Chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity (ChC) is an important complication among patients receiving anthracyclines. Biomarkers and imaging parameters have been studied for their ability to identify patients at risk of developing ChC. Left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) is a sensitive parameter for detecting systolic dysfunction despite the presence of preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Objective To evaluate the role of the LV-GLS as a predictor of ChC. Methods This was a post-hoc analysis of the Carvedilol for Prevention of […]

Abstract Background: The combination of doxorubicin (DOX) with paclitaxel (PTX) effectively treats breast cancer (BC). However, DOX-associated cardiotoxicity (CTX) is aggravated by the use of PTX. Consensus is lacking about which drug sequence involves the most CTX. Objectives: To evaluate whether DOX followed by PXT or the reverse sequence has the greatest cardiotoxic potential in the treatment of BC. Methods: Prospective study of women with primary BC who received four cycles of DOX and 12 infusions of PTX. Participants were […]

Abstract Background Chemotherapy for breast cancer is associated with serious cardiovascular complications such as heart failure. The left ventricular ejection fraction is the main parameter used to assess systolic function in these patients. However, the occurrence of diastolic dysfunction may precede that of systolic dysfunction. Objectives To evaluate left ventricle diastolic and systolic functions in women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy using anthracyclines. Methods This observational, longitudinal, analytical, and prospective study included 62 women with breast cancer aged 21–75 years […]

In recent decades, advances in cancer treatment have led to a significantly increased survival rate for several types of cancer. On the other hand, cancer survival increases patients’ vulnerability to cardiovascular complications induced by potentially cardiotoxic cancer therapy., Cardiovascular diseases are currently recognized as a main cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer survivors depending on the type of therapeutic approach used, patient age, and the presence of preexisting cardiovascular risk factors. Due to the high incidence of breast cancer […]