Patients with BRCA 1/2 mutations not at increased risk for anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

According to a new study presented last week at the 2014 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) in San Antonio, Texas, researchers from Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute in Washington, D.C., have found that patients with BRCA 1/2 gene mutations do not have an increased risk of anthracycline-induced cardiac toxicity compared with women who do not have the gene mutations.

The study was prompted by findings of preclinical studies that suggested otherwise. For the study, researchers enrolled 81 patients, 39 of whom were BRCA 1/2 carriers and 42 did not have the mutation. Patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer and metastatic disease were not included in the study. Patients with a history of hypertension were excluded as well.

To determine cardiotoxicity, patients had an echocardiogram following anthracycline therapy to determine left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS). Both are measurements to determine cardiac function.

Results showed that 91% of women had a normal LVEF  and 85% had a normal GLS, which were measured on average 45 months after therapy. Only one patient with BRCA 1/2 mutation had borderline reduced LVEF.