Cardiovascular status of breast cancer patients before and after receiving anthracycline chemotherapy regimen.
Zhaoying Dong, Zhaojun Liu, Siyu Chen and 3 others
PMID 34592784WHAT IT FOUND
In 243 breast cancer patients receiving docetaxel, epirubicin, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone, lipid, glucose, uric acid, heart rate and QTc measures moved toward higher cardiovascular risk after treatment; blood pressure stayed similar.
Key findings
01Hyperlipidaemia rose from 76 of 243 patients before chemotherapy to 117 of 243 patients after chemotherapy.
02Resting heart rate and QTc increased after chemotherapy: heart rate moved from 76.20 to 80.32 and QTc from 421 to 427.
03Blood pressure and hypertension prevalence did not show a statistically significant change after chemotherapy.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was a single-centre retrospective survey, and the authors say the sample size may not be enough to represent real-world results. It compared the same patients before and after treatment, so it cannot show that the drugs caused the changes. All patients received docetaxel, epirubicin, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone together, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. Patients already taking drugs for blood pressure, lipids, glucose or uric acid were excluded, so the findings may not apply to many patients who need those treatments. The study used anonymous records and did not require informed consent or ethical approval.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The supplied text does not state a funding source or sponsor role.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that anthracycline chemotherapy alone caused these cardiovascular changes. All patients received docetaxel, epirubicin, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone together, and the study was observational, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated.