Serum cardiac troponin T levels during treatment of early-stage breast cancer

• Published in: Journal of clinical oncology Vol. 13; no. 10; p. 2582
• Main Authors: Hughes-Davies, L, Sacks, D, Rescigno, J, Howard, S, Harris, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.10.1995
• Subjects: Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Biomarkers, Tumor - blood; Breast Neoplasms - blood; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Breast Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Breast Neoplasms - therapy; Carcinoma - pathology; Carcinoma - radiotherapy; Combined Modality Therapy; Female; Heart - radiation effects; Humans; Myocardium - metabolism; Neoplasm Staging; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant - adverse effects; Troponin - blood; Troponin T
• ISSN: 0732-183X
• DOI: 10.1200/JCO.1995.13.10.2582

To measure serum troponin T concentrations in patients with early-stage left breast cancer during breast-conserving radiation therapy. Troponin T has been introduced recently as a sensitive and specific marker for acute myocardial injury. We compared pretreatment and posttreatment serum troponin T values in 50 patients undergoing radiation therapy to the entire left breast following conservative surgery for stage I and II breast cancer. No changes in troponin T concentrations were found after 45 to 46 Gy whole-breast irradiation. All women had undetectable or normal troponin T on the first and last day of treatment. There was no evidence of an upward trend during treatment. Radiation therapy to the left breast does not affect serum cardiac troponin T levels, despite the fact that a portion of the myocardium lies within the high-dose region. This suggests that the acute effects of radiation on the myocardium are minor. Long-term evaluation of these patients is necessary to rule out the possibility of late cardiac morbidity due to accelerated atherosclerosis. This study also suggests that an elevated troponin T level during or shortly after left breast irradiation should not be attributed to treatment.