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Walls GM, McCann C, O'Connor J, O'Sullivan A, I Johnston D, McAleese J, McGarry CK, Cole AJ, Jain S, Butterworth KT, Hanna GG. Pulmonary vein dose and risk of atrial fibrillation in patients with non-small cell lung cancer following definitive radiotherapy: An NI-HEART analysis. Radiother Oncol 2024; 192:110085. [PMID: 38184145 DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2024.110085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Symptomatic arrhythmia is common following radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), frequently resulting in morbidity and hospitalization. Modern treatment planning technology theoretically allows sparing of cardiac substructures. Atrial fibrillation (AF) comprises the majority of post-radiotherapy arrhythmias, but efforts to prevent this cardiotoxicity have been limited as the causative cardiac substructure is not known. In this study we investigated if incidental radiation dose to the pulmonary veins (PVs) is associated with AF. MATERIAL AND METHODS A single-centre study of patients completing contemporary (chemo)radiation for NSCLC, with modern planning techniques. Oncology, cardiology and death records were examined, and AF events were verified by a cardiologist. Cardiac substructures were contoured on planning scans for retrospective dose analysis. RESULTS In 420 eligible patients with NSCLC treated with intensity-modulated (70%) or 3D-conformal (30%) radiotherapy with a median OS of 21.8 months (IQR 10.8-35.1), there were 26 cases of new AF (6%). All cases were grade 3 except two cases of grade 4. Dose metrics for both the left (V55) and right (V10) PVs were associated with the incidence of new AF. Metrics remained statistically significant after accounting for the competing risk of death and cardiovascular covariables for both the left (HR 1.02, 95%CI 1.00-1.03, p = 0.005) and right (HR 1.01 (95%CI 1.00-1.02, p = 0.033) PVs. CONCLUSION Radiation dose to the PVs during treatment of NSCLC was associated with the onset of AF. Actively sparing the PVs during treatment planning could reduce the incidence of AF during follow-up, and screening for AF may be warranted for select cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard M Walls
- Cancer Centre Belfast City Hospital, Belfast Health & Social Care Trust, Lisburn Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland; Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Jubilee Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
| | - Conor McCann
- Department of Cardiology, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast Health & Social Care Trust, Lisburn Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - John O'Connor
- School of Engineering, University of Ulster, York Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - Anna O'Sullivan
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - David I Johnston
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Jubilee Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - Jonathan McAleese
- Cancer Centre Belfast City Hospital, Belfast Health & Social Care Trust, Lisburn Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - Conor K McGarry
- Cancer Centre Belfast City Hospital, Belfast Health & Social Care Trust, Lisburn Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland; Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Jubilee Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - Aidan J Cole
- Cancer Centre Belfast City Hospital, Belfast Health & Social Care Trust, Lisburn Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - Suneil Jain
- Cancer Centre Belfast City Hospital, Belfast Health & Social Care Trust, Lisburn Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland; Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Jubilee Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - Karl T Butterworth
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Jubilee Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - Gerard G Hanna
- Cancer Centre Belfast City Hospital, Belfast Health & Social Care Trust, Lisburn Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland; Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Jubilee Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland
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Walls GM, Ghita M, Herron B, Edgar KS, Kuburas R, Watson CJ, Grieve DJ, Cole AJ, Jain S, Butterworth KT. A multimodality assessment of the protective capacity of statin therapy in a mouse model of radiation cardiotoxicity. Radiother Oncol 2024; 190:110004. [PMID: 37972738 DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2023.110004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Despite technological advances in radiotherapy (RT), cardiotoxicity remains a common complication in patients with lung, oesophageal and breast cancers. Statin therapy has been shown to have pleiotropic properties beyond its lipid-lowering effects. Previous murine models have shown statin therapy can reduce short-term functional effects of whole-heart irradiation. In this study, we assessed the efficacy of atorvastatin in protecting against the late effects of radiation exposure on systolic function, cardiac conduction, and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) following a clinically relevant partial-heart radiation exposure. MATERIALS AND METHODS Female, 12-week old, C57BL/6j mice received an image-guided 16 Gy X-ray field to the base of the heart using a small animal radiotherapy research platform (SARRP), with or without atorvastatin from 1 week prior to irradiation until the end of the experiment. The animals were followed for 50 weeks with longitudinal transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and electrocardiography (ECG) every 10 weeks, and plasma ANP every 20 weeks. RESULTS At 30-50 weeks, mild left ventricular systolic function impairment observed in the RT control group was less apparent in animals receiving atorvastatin. ECG analysis demonstrated prolongation of components of cardiac conduction related to the heart base at 10 and 30 weeks in the RT control group but not in animals treated with atorvastatin. In contrast to systolic function, conduction disturbances resolved at later time-points with radiation alone. ANP reductions were lower in irradiated animals receiving atorvastatin at 30 and 50 weeks. CONCLUSIONS Atorvastatin prevents left ventricular systolic dysfunction, and the perturbation of cardiac conduction following partial heart irradiation. If confirmed in clinical studies, these data would support the use of statin therapy for cardioprotection during thoracic radiotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard M Walls
- Cancer Centre Belfast City Hospital, Belfast Health & Social Care Trust, Lisburn Road, Belfast, UK; Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Jubilee Road, Belfast, UK.
| | - Mihaela Ghita
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Jubilee Road, Belfast, UK
| | - Brian Herron
- Department of Histopathology Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast Health & Social Care Trust, Falls Road, Belfast, UK
| | - Kevin S Edgar
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Jubilee Road, Belfast, UK
| | - Refik Kuburas
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Jubilee Road, Belfast, UK
| | - Chris J Watson
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Jubilee Road, Belfast, UK
| | - David J Grieve
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Jubilee Road, Belfast, UK
| | - Aidan J Cole
- Cancer Centre Belfast City Hospital, Belfast Health & Social Care Trust, Lisburn Road, Belfast, UK; Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Jubilee Road, Belfast, UK
| | - Suneil Jain
- Cancer Centre Belfast City Hospital, Belfast Health & Social Care Trust, Lisburn Road, Belfast, UK; Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Jubilee Road, Belfast, UK
| | - Karl T Butterworth
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Jubilee Road, Belfast, UK
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Walls GM, Jain S, Hanna GG. Response to, "Statin therapy, cardiac events, and survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer receiving definitive radiotherapy". Radiother Oncol 2023; 187:109826. [PMID: 37516365 DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2023.109826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gerard M Walls
- Cancer Centre Belfast City Hospital, Belfast Health & Social Care Trust, Lisburn Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom; Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Jubilee Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
| | - Suneil Jain
- Cancer Centre Belfast City Hospital, Belfast Health & Social Care Trust, Lisburn Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom; Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Jubilee Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Gerard G Hanna
- Cancer Centre Belfast City Hospital, Belfast Health & Social Care Trust, Lisburn Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom; Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Jubilee Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
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