title: Early effects of adjuvant breast cancer radiotherapy on right ventricular systolic and diastolic function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Reduced right ventricular (RV) systolic function correlates with poor prognosis in several heart diseases. The aim of this prospective single-Center study was to investigate whether conformal three-dimensional (3D) breast cancer radiotherapy impairs RV function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-nine patients with early-stage left-sided breast cancer underwent comprehensive two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography before and after radiotherapy. RV function was evaluated with tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), pulsed tissue Doppler peak velocity at the lateral RV wall (S') and RV and venous flow analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Radiotherapy reduced TAPSE from 24.5 ± 4.0 mm to 22.4 ± 3.9 mm (p<0.001), S' from 12.7 ± 3.1 m/s to 12.2 ± 2.7 m/s (p=0.11) and pulmonary flow velocity time integral (VTI) from 16.6 ± 3.1 cm to 15.9 ± 2.3 cm (p=0.07), respectively. These changes were unrelated to changes in LV function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Modern radiotherapy reduced RV systolic function. As a readily-available and sensitive measurement, TAPSE is as a practical tool for detection of radiotherapy-induced cardiac changes.
authors: Heart Center Co., Tampere University Hospital and School of Medicine, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland suvi.tuohinen@sydansairaala.fi.
authors: Suvi Sirkku
authors: SS
authors: Tuohinen
authors: Department of Oncology, Tampere University Hospital and School of Medicine, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.
authors: Tanja
authors: T
authors: Skyttä
authors: Heart Center Co., Tampere University Hospital and School of Medicine, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.
authors: Vesa
authors: V
authors: Virtanen
authors: Science Center Pirkanmaa Hospital District and School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.
authors: Tiina
authors: T
authors: Luukkaala
authors: Department of Oncology, Tampere University Hospital and School of Medicine, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.
authors: Pirkko-Liisa
authors: PL
authors: Kellokumpu-Lehtinen
authors: Department of Medicine, Central Finland Health Care District and University of Eastern Finland, Jyväskylä, Finland.
authors: Pekka
authors: P
authors: Raatikainen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000473:pathology; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right
keywords: Radiotherapy; TAPSE; breast cancer; right ventricle