Reversible cardiotoxicity in a 54-year-old woman treated with trastuzumab / Cardiotoxicidad reversible en una mujer con 54 años tratada con trastuzumab

Background: We report a 54-year-old woman with an stage IIA (T2N0M0) RE and RP negative and HER2-positive ductal invasive breast cancer who developed a reversible cardiotoxicity associated with chemotherapy. After surgery, she received four cycles of doxorubicin and cyclophosfamide. Later, she used paclitaxel and trastuzumab. At the 7th cycle of trastuzumab, she had symptoms of heart failure with left ventricle ejection fraction = 59%. Trastuzumab dosage was reduced in 25%, and heart function progressively improved. Two years after her discharge, the patient remains asymptomatic. Systolic function of the left ventricle was normal before the initial dosis of trastuzumab, but significantly worsened following the beginning of drug administration. Moreover, a clear improvement of heart function was observed soon after the daily dose of trastuzumab was reduced. Better knowledge of risk factors for cardiotoxicity related to chemotherapy, and longstanding surveillance with serial echocardiograms can avoid more severe cardiotoxicity by chemotherapy.

Se reporta un caso de cardiotoxicidad asociada con quimioterapia con trastuzumab, en una mujer con 54 años de edad que presentó un cáncer de mama ductal invasivo, con receptores de estrógeno y de progesterona negativos y HER2-positivo, en estadio IIA (T2N0M0). En el posoperatorio, recibió cuatro ciclos de doxorubicina y ciclofosfamida. Después recibió paclitaxel y trastuzumab. En el séptimo ciclo de trastuzumab, la paciente presentó síntomas de falla cardiaca, con fracción de eyección de ventrículo izquierdo = 59%. La dosis de trastuzumab fue reducida en 25%, y la función cardiaca se normalizó progresivamente. Más de 2 años después del alta hospitalaria, permanece sin síntomas. En esta paciente la función sistólica de ventrículo izquierdo estaba normal previo al uso de trastuzumab y hubo un significativo deterioro desde el início de este medicamento. Se observó una mejoría importante en la función cardiaca cuando se redujo la dosis diaria de trastuzumab. Un mejor conocimiento acerca de los factores de riesgo para cardiotoxicidad relacionados con quimioterapia y el seguimiento prolongado con ecocardiogramas pueden evitar la cardiotoxicidad más severa debida a quimioterapia.

Reversible cardiotoxicity in a 54-year-old woman treated with trastuzumab.

We report a 54-year-old woman with an stage IIA (T2N0M0) RE and RP negative and HER2-positive ductal invasive breast cancer who developed a reversible cardiotoxicity associated with chemotherapy. After surgery, she received four cycles of doxorubicin and cyclophosfamide. Later, she used paclitaxel and trastuzumab. At the 7th cycle of trastuzumab, she had symptoms of heart failure with left ventricle ejection fraction = 59%. Trastuzumab dosage was reduced in 25%, and heart function progressively improved. Two years after her discharge, the patient remains asymptomatic. Systolic function of the left ventricle was normal before the initial dosis of trastuzumab, but significantly worsened following the beginning of drug administration. Moreover, a clear improvement of heart function was observed soon after the daily dose of trastuzumab was reduced. Better knowledge of risk factors for cardiotoxicity related to chemotherapy, and longstanding surveillance with serial echocardiograms can avoid more severe cardiotoxicity by chemotherapy.