CMR reveals myocardial damage from cardiotoxic oncologic therapies in breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is a common and increasingly treatable disease. However, survivors have a significantly elevated risk of cardiac events afterwards. This study aimed to characterise cardiac changes during cardiotoxic cancer therapy using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. METHODS: This study involved 34 patients with histologically proven breast cancer and planned cardiotoxic therapy. All patients underwent CMR before starting therapy, and 6 and 12 months thereafter. The CMR protocol included volumetric and functional analyses, parametric mapping, and deformation analysis using feature tracking. As the control group, 10 healthy female volunteers were scanned using the same protocol. RESULTS: With therapy, there was a significant reduction of left ventricular and right ventricular ejection fractions (both p < 0.05) without reaching pathologic values. Left ventricular radial (p = 0.008), circumferential (p = 0.010), and longitudinal strain (p = 0.036) were also reduced at follow-up. In the parametric mapping, there was a significant increase in native T1 time (start: 1037 ± 41 ms vs. 6 months: 1068 ± 51 ms vs. 12 months: 1017 ± 57 ms, p < 0.001) and T2 time (start: 55 ± 4 ms vs. 6 months: 59 ± 3 ms vs. 12 months: 57 ± 3 ms, p = 0.001), with unchanged extracellular volume and relative late gadolinium enhancement. Twelve months after cancer diagnosis, the breast cancer patients exhibited significant impairments in left ventricular global radial (p = 0.001), circumferential (p = 0.001), and longitudinal strain (p = 0.002) and T2 time (p = 0.008) compared to the healthy controls. DISCUSSION: Breast cancer patients receiving cardiotoxic chemotherapy show persistent deterioration in left ventricular strain values. This is accompanied by inflammatory changes in non-invasive tissue characterisation. Larger studies with longer follow-up periods are needed to identify patients at risk and establish preventive and therapeutic approaches.

Consensus Statement on the Management of Waldenström Macroglobulinemia Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Workshop on Waldenström Macroglobulinemia (IWWM) Treatment Recommendations Panel felt the need to provide a consensus statement for the management of Waldenström Macroglobulinemia (WM) patients during this challenging time. We followed the current recommendations by the American Society of Hematology, which have been modified accordingly to fit the specific realities associated with the management of WM. In this Consensus Statement, the Panel addresses questions related to treatment initiation, preferred therapies, minimizing visit to clinics and infusions centers, supportive care and guidance for WM patients in clinical trials. Finally, we also provide information on timing and appropriateness of testing and management of COVID-19 infected patients, as well as ways to get physicians and patients involved in registry studies that could help others.

Pregnancy induced Cushing's syndrome and primary aldosteronism: a case report.

BACKGROUND: First manifestation of Cushing's syndrome during pregnancy is rare. The diagnosis of both Cushing's and primary aldosteronism within a pregnancy has not been previously documented. Diagnosis is especially challenging due to the normal physiological changes that occur during pregnancy. Consequently, many tests that are normally used for diagnosis are not reliable. Tumor based etiologies can be surgically removed. Etiologies that are not tumor based are challenging to treat during pregnancy. CASE PRESENTATION: A 25 year old G1P0 was admitted in the 22 5/7 week of pregnancy with elevated blood pressure (200/100 mm Hg), acne, moon facies, abdominal striae and hirsutism. With five antihypertensive medications her blood pressure remained 190/100 mm Hg. The patient was admitted to the ICU for intravenous medications and monitoring. She was diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome and primary aldosteronism. In spite of therapy with spironolactone and metyrapone she developed preeclampsia and was delivered in the 26 0/7 week of pregnancy. At her follow up visit eight weeks postpartum she had blood pressure within normal limits, no clinical signs or symptoms, and all medications had been discontinued. CONCLUSIONS: Early diagnosis of pregnancy induced Cushing's syndrome and primary aldosteronism requires an interdisciplinary approach. Late detection has been associated with increased perinatal morbidity and mortality including but not limited to placental abruption and intrauterine demise. Collaboration is essential in the optimization of maternal and fetal outcomes.