title: Chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity: role of the conventional echocardiography and the tissue Doppler.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The cardiotoxicity of anticancer drugs is an emerging problem and only an identification of the early signs of cardiotoxicity by conventional echocardiography and not (tissue Doppler imaging, TDI), will limit and contain the long-term cardiotoxicity effects. The aim of this study was to identify, through conventional echocardiography and TDI, parameters to use as early "signs" of cardiotoxicity.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study was performed using patients with breast cancer (72 women, median age 57 ± 12) treated with anticancer drugs (adjuvant chemotherapy). All patients underwent a careful cardiological evaluation before starting treatment (T0) and during follow-up at 3 months (T1), 6 months (T2) and 1 year (T3). Electrocardiography and echocardiography were performed in all patients in these times. Echocardiography evaluation considered the following parameters: systolic and diastolic diameters and volumes, LVEF, MAPSE, TAPSE, E/A TDI (Em, Am, Sm, IVCT, IVRT, ET, TEI index). On the basis of chemotherapy treatment, patients were divided into 5 groups: A=FEC (fluorouracil, epirubicin, cyclophosphamide), B=FEC+trastuzumab, C=trastuzumab, D=FEC+taxotere, E=FEC+taxolo+trastuzumab.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant reduction in the echo parameters of TDI was observed. TDI appears to offer important advantages over traditional techniques in revealing the presence of early signs of cardiotoxicity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The TDI should be utilized to complement conventional echocardiography in the assessment of cardiotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Post-Graduate School of Cardiovascular Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular and Nephro-Urological Disease, University of Palermo, Italy. danydilis@hotmail.it
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Di Lisi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bonura
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Macaione
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cuttitta
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peritore
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meschisi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Novo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: D'Alessandro
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Novo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies