Cardiotoxicity in Adjuvant and Neoadjuvant Therapy for Breast Cancer

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common among women worldwide, accounting for almost 25% of all cancer cases. Some drugs have a peculiar characteristic related to cardiotoxicity. Objective: Analyze the incidence, clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with cardiotoxicity in patients undergoing protocol doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed or not by taxanes and in those who underwent the same protocol associated with trastuzumab. Method: Cohort study conducted in a public hospital in Rio de Janeiro. 153 patients were included between September and November 2012. Cardiotoxicity was defined based on the criteria of the Cardiac Review and Evaluation Committee and the Brazilian Society of Cardiology. The relative risk (RR) was calculated using a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: The incidence of cardiotoxicity was 17%. Left ventricular ejection fraction decreased in 31.3% and 52.2% of the patients in the negative and positive human epidermal growth factor receptor-type 2 (HER-2) groups, respectively. Three cases of heart failure were identified, two in HER-2 positive patients. Patients using trastuzumab had a higher risk of developing cardiotoxicity (RR=3.53; CI 95%: 1.84-6.79) compared to women in the HER-2 negative group. Conclusion: It was possible to verify the occurrence of cases of cardiotoxicity in both groups with higher incidence for the HER-2 positive group.