The cancer patient and cardiology

Cardiovascular immunotoxicities associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: a safety meta-analysis

AIMS 

The risk and incidence of cardiovascular (CV) immune-related adverse events (irAEs) associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in cancer patients remain unknown.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We systematically reviewed all randomized clinical trials (RCTs) including at least one ICI-containing arm and available CV adverse event (CVAE) data in cancer patients in the ClinicalTrials.gov registry, Medline, and the Cochrane CENTRAL Register of Controlled Trials, up to 31 August 2020 (CRD42020165672). The primary outcome was the summary risk of 16 different CVAEs associated with ICI exposure vs. controls (placebo and non-placebo) in RCTs. CVAEs with an increased risk associated with ICI exposure were considered as CV irAEs. Summary incidences of CV irAEs identified in our primary outcome analyses were computed using all RCTs including at least one ICI-containing arm. We used a random-effects meta-analysis to obtain Peto odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and logit transformation and inverse variance weighting to compute summary incidences. Sixty-three unique RCTs with at least one ICI-containing arm (32 518 patients) were retrieved, among which 48 (29 592 patients) had a control arm. Among the 16 CVAEs studied, ICI use was associated with an increased risk of 6 CV irAEs including myocarditis, pericardial diseases, heart failure, dyslipidemia, myocardial infarction, and cerebral arterial ischaemia with higher risks for myocarditis (Peto OR: 4.42, 95% CI: 1.56-12.50, P < 0.01; I2 = 0%, P = 0.93) and dyslipidemia (Peto OR: 3.68, 95% CI: 1.89-7.19, P < 0.01; I2 = 0%, P = 0.66). The incidence of these CVAEs ranged from 3.2 (95% CI 2.0-5.1) to 19.3 (6.7-54.1) per 1000 patients, in studies with a median follow-up ranging from 3.2 to 32.8 months.

CONCLUSION

In RCTs, ICI use was associated with six CV irAEs, not confined to myocarditis and pericarditis.

The Cancer Therapy-Related Clonal Hematopoiesis Driver Gene Ppm1d Promotes Inflammation and Non-Ischemic Heart Failure in Mice

[Figure: see text].

TP53-mediated therapy-related clonal hematopoiesis contributes to doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy by augmenting a neutrophil-mediated cytotoxic response

Therapy-related clonal hematopoiesis (t-CH) is often observed in cancer survivors. This form of clonal hematopoiesis typically involves somatic mutations in driver genes that encode components of the DNA damage response and confer hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) with resistance to the genotoxic stress of the cancer therapy. Here, we established a model of TP53-mediated t-CH through the transfer of Trp53 mutant HSPCs to mice, followed by treatment with a course of the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin. These studies revealed that neutrophil infiltration in the heart significantly contributes to doxorubicin-induced cardiac toxicity and that this condition is amplified in the model of Trp53-mediated t-CH. These data suggest that t-CH could contribute to the elevated heart failure risk that occurs in cancer survivors who have been treated with genotoxic agents.

Clinical characteristics, risk factors, and cardiac manifestations of cancer patients with COVID-19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been associated with cardiovascular features, which may be deteriorated in patients with cancer. However, cardiac outcomes of cancer patients with COVID-19 have not been closely examined. We retrospectively assessed 1,244 patients with COVID-19 from February 1 to August 31, 2020 (140 cancer and 1,104 noncancer patients). Demographic and clinical data were obtained and compared between cancer and noncancer groups. Including the cardiac biomarkers, we also analyzed laboratory findings between these two groups. Risk factors for in-hospital mortality were identified by multivariable Cox regression models. For cancer group, 56% were in severe and critical status with more diabetes and immune deficiency, whereas the proportion was 10% for noncancer group. Patients with cancer had increased levels of leukocyte, neutrophil count, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (all P < 0.01), whereas lymphocyte count was significantly lower (P < 0.001). The most common solid tumor types were gastrointestinal cancer (26%), lung cancer (21%), and breast and reproductive cancer (both 19%). There is a rising for cardiac biomarkers, including pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (Pro-BNP), sensitive troponin I (cTnI), myoglobin (MYO), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), as well as D-Dimer in COVID-19 cancer population, especially in deceased subjects with cancer. The 30-day in-hospital mortality in cancer group was dramatically raised than that in noncancer group (12.9% vs. 4.0%, P < 0.01). In multivariable Cox regression models, fever, disease severity status, and underlying diseases were risk factors for mortality. COVID-19 patients with cancer relate to deteriorating conditions and poor cardiac outcomes accompanied by a high in-hospital mortality, which warrants more aggressive treatment.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our study indicates that the 30-day mortality is higher in COVID-19 patients with cancer; more COVID-19 patients with cancer are in severe and critical status; age, respiratory rate, neutrophil count, AST, BUN, MYO, Pro-BNP, disease severity status, underlying diseases, and fever are risk factors for in-hospital mortality among COVID-19 cancer cases; COVID-19 patients with cancer display severely impaired myocardium, damaged heart function, and imbalanced homeostasis of coagulation; what is more, those with both cancer and CVD have more significantly increased Pro-BNP and D-Dimer level.

Oxidative stress and inflammation: determinants of anthracycline cardiotoxicity and possible therapeutic targets

Chemotherapy with anthracycline-based regimens remains a cornerstone of treatment of many solid and blood tumors but is associated with a significant risk of cardiotoxicity, which can manifest as asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction or overt heart failure. These effects are typically dose-dependent and cumulative and may require appropriate screening strategies and cardioprotective therapies in order to minimize changes to anticancer regimens or even their discontinuation. Our current understanding of cardiac damage by anthracyclines includes a central role of oxidative stress and inflammation. The identification of these processes through circulating biomarkers or imaging techniques might then be helpful for early diagnosis and risk stratification. Furthermore, therapeutic strategies relieving oxidative stress and inflammation hold promise to prevent heart failure development or at least to mitigate cardiac damage, although further evidence is needed on their efficacy, either alone or as part of combination therapies with neurohormonal antagonists, which are the current adopted standard.

Breast Radiotherapy-Related Cardiotoxicity. When, How, Why. Risk Prevention and Control Strategies

In recent decades, improvements in breast cancer management have increased overall patient survival; however, many cancer therapies have been linked to an important risk of cardiovascular adverse events. Cardio-oncology has been proposed as an emerging specialty to coordinate preventive strategies that improve the cardiovascular health of oncologic patients. It employs the most suitable personalized multidisciplinary management approach for each patient to optimize their cardiovascular health and improve their survival and quality of life. Radiotherapy is an essential part of the therapeutic regimen in breast cancer patients but can also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, minimizing the negative impact of radiation therapy is an important challenge for radiotherapy oncologists and cardiologists specializing in this field. The aim of the present review is to update our knowledge about radiation-induced cardiotoxicity in breast cancer patients by undertaking a critical review of the relevant literature to determine risk prevention and control strategies currently available.

In ®Entresto we trust

Sacubitril/Valsartan (S/V) is a novel and remarkably effective opportunity to treat heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). However, patients with HFrEF induced by cancer therapy were a priori excluded from the registration study. The value of S/V in this important subgroup of patients needs to be firmly established. In this issue of Cardio-Oncology, Gregorietti et al. report on the effects of S/V in a small group of cancer patients, primarily women with breast cancer treated with anthracyclines. The data are limited but seem to confirm the encouraging results of prior studies, paving the way to foster the use of S/V in cardio-oncology patients and hopefully, to design ad hoc prospective studies in this highly vulnerable population.