Evaluation of Epirubicin-induced Cardiotoxicity by Two-dimensional Strain Echocardiography in Breast Cancer Patients

• Published in: Journal of Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Medical sciences Vol. 29; no. 3; pp. 391 - 394
• Main Author: 毕小军 邓又斌 曾繁静 朱英 伍玉晗 赵策瑶 黎春雷
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Huazhong University of Science and Technology 01.06.2009; Department of Medical Ultrasound, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic - adverse effects; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic - therapeutic use; Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Echocardiography, Doppler; Epirubicin - adverse effects; Epirubicin - therapeutic use; Female; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left - chemically induced; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left - diagnostic imaging; Ventricular Function, Left - drug effects; 乳腺癌; 癌细胞; two-dimensional strain; epirubicin; breast cancer; cardiotoxicity; subendocardial myocardium; echocardiography
• ISSN: 1672-0733; 1993-1352
• DOI: 10.1007/s11596-009-0326-7

The value of two-dimensional strain echocardiography for assessing left ventricular regional systolic function in breast cancer patients who were treated with epirubicin was evaluated. A total of 116 breast cancer patients were divided into 3 groups： Thirty-eight patients in group A were given epirubicin （Epi） of 120-340 mg/m^2, 42 patients in group B received epimbicin of≥ 360 mg/m^2, and 36 patients after surging without chemotherapy served as the control group C. High frame rate two-dimensional images were recorded from apical long-axis view, four-chamber view, two-chamber view of left ventricle. Peak systolic strain of left ventricular subendocardial myocardium was measured using two-dimensional strain software. The conventional echocardiographic parameters were also obtained. Conventional echocardiography showed there was no significant changes in conventional echocardiographic parameters among the three groups （P〉0.05）. Two-dimensional strain echocardiography revealed that the peak systolic strain of left ventricular subendocardial myocardium in group A was reduced in some segments as compared with the controls （P〈0.05）. The peak systolic strain of left ventricular subendocardial myocardium in group B was reduced significantly as com- pared with group C （P〈0.05）, but that was reduced in group B just in some of the segments as compared with group A （P〈0.05）. It was concluded that two-dimensional strain echocardiography could early and sensitively display the effects of epirubicin-induced cardiotoxicity on the systolic function of left ventricular subendocardial myocardium, and early monitor the epirubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.