A possible mechanism of hyperlipidemia in a patient with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer on lorlatinib therapy.

INTRODUCTION: We report the case of a woman who developed hyperlipidemia on lorlatinib therapy found to have minimal change disease. We review therapies for cancer known to alter the lipid profile, in addition to reviewing secondary hyperlipidemia workup. We also propose a mechanism for lorlatinib-induced hyperlipidemia. CASE REPORT: A 63 year old woman with non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma on lorlatinib therapy develops marked hyperlipidemia.Management & outcome: A secondary hyperlipidemia workup is performed which reveals nephrotic range proteinuria. Minimal change disease is found on renal biopsy. The hyperlipidemia was initially responsive to statin therapy, then required addition of ezetimibe. DISCUSSION: This is a case of hyperlipidemia in a patient on lorlatinib. The case highlights that therapies for lung cancer and other malignancies have the potential to alter the lipid profile. We propose minimal change disease as a possible mechanism for lorlatinib-induced dyslipidemia. Additionally, we discuss the crucial aspects of secondary hyperlipidemia workup.

Utilizing left atrial strain to identify patients at risk for atrial fibrillation on ibrutinib.

BACKGROUND: Ibrutinib is associated with atrial fibrillation (AF), though echocardiographic predictors of AF have not been studied in this population. We sought to determine whether left atrial (LA) strain on transthoracic echocardiography could identify patients at risk for developing ibrutinib-related atrial fibrillation (IRAF). METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of 66 patients who had an echocardiogram prior to ibrutinib treatment. LA strain was measured with TOMTEC Imaging Systems, obtaining peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) and peak atrial contraction strain (PACS) on 4-chamber and 2-chamber views. Statistical analysis was performed with chi-square analysis, t test, or binomial regression analysis, with a P-value < .05 considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients developed IRAF (33%). Age at initiation of ibrutinib was significantly associated with IRAF (65.1 years vs 74.1 years, P = .002). Mean ibrutinib dose was lower among patients who developed IRAF (388.2 ± 121.7 vs 448.6 ± 88.4, P = .025). E/e' was significantly higher among patients who developed IRAF (11.5 vs 9.3, P = .04). PALS was significantly lower in patients who developed AF (30.3% vs 36.3%, P = .01). On multivariate regression analysis, age, PALS, and PACS were significantly associated with IRAF. On multivariate regression analysis, only PACS remained significantly associated with IRAF while accounting for age. CONCLUSIONS: Age, ibrutinib dose, E/e', and PALS on pre-treatment echocardiogram were significantly associated with development of IRAF. On multivariate regression analyses, age, PALS, and PACS remained significantly associated with IRAF. Impaired LA mechanics add to the assessment of patients at risk for IRAF.

Who We Are and What We Can Become: An Analysis of Professional Identity Formation in IR.

PURPOSE: To characterize the unique experiences, values, and perspectives of interventional radiology (IR) fellows. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen fellows from 4 US vascular and IR programs were interviewed within 2 months of beginning and 2-3 months following their 2015-2016 fellowships about patient interactions, training experiences, and views of IR and other specialties. Interviews were systematically analyzed for dominant themes by using constructivist grounded theory. Four interviews with 2015-2016 interventional cardiology fellows, 16 interviews with IR attending physicians, and online descriptions of IR were also analyzed for context. Themes were compared qualitatively and quantitatively. RESULTS: Interobserver agreement was good for interview themes (κ = 0.70; P < .0001). IR fellows' professional identity emerged primarily from radiologic and surgical interests, with distinct emphasis on being "innovators," "thinking differently," and "needing to adapt and advertise abilities to survive." Fellows' descriptions of patient care were more clinically focused than past interviews with attending physicians (P = .05), but clinical interests common in medical specialties were limited, and descriptions of "nonprocedural patient care" were primarily periprocedural (81%). Descriptions of the future of the field conveyed competing pressures, loose role definition, and disconnect between academic and private-practice IR. CONCLUSIONS: IR fellows share professional interests, views of their field and others, and descriptions of patient care, but there is uncertainty regarding future roles of the specialty and a need for more specific and unified definitions of nonprocedural patient care in IR.