Myocardial Fibrosis Identification in Patients With Anthracycline-induced Cardiotoxicity

Myocardial Fibrosis Identification in Patients With Anthracycline-induced Cardiotoxicity: Clinical and Prognostic Implications

This is an interventional study for patients who had developed Anthracycline-Induced Cardiotoxicity (AIC) during or after anthracycline-containing therapy, referred to the Cardioncology Unit for heart failure treatment

The main aim of this interventional study is to evaluate biochemical and imaging markers of fibrosis in patients who had previously developed AIC during or after anthracycline-containing therapy.

Anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy (AIC) is define as a reduction in Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) >10% units from baseline and below 50%, assessed by echocardiography, during or after anthracycline-containing therapy.

All patients will undergo:

• at time 0

  • an echocardiogram with LVEF evaluation (biplane method)
  • a single blood sample.

• at time 1 - a Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (RMC) with contrast agent (T1 mapping technique) (time 1 = within 72 hours from blood sample).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients who developed AIC during or after anthracycline-containing therapy assessed by LVEF valuation by echocardiography.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age <18 years
• Contraindications to contrast medium magnetic resonance imaging