British Society for Echocardiography and British Cardio-Oncology Society guideline for transthoracic echocardiographic assessment of adult cancer patients receiving anthracyclines and/or trastuzumab
Rebecca Dobson, Arjun K. Ghosh, Bonnie Ky, Tom Marwick, Martin Stout, Allan Harkness, Rick Steeds, Shaun Robinson, David Oxborough, David Adlam, Susannah Stanway, Bushra S. Rana, Thomas E. Ingram, Liam Ring, Stuart D. Rosen, Chris Plummer, Charlotte Manisty, Mark Harbinson, Vishal Sharma, Keith Pearce, Alexander R. Lyon, Daniel Augustine
Abstract
The subspecialty of cardio-oncology aims to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer or following cancer treatment. Cancer therapy can lead to a variety of cardiovascular complications, including left ventricular systolic dysfunction, pericardial disease, and valvular heart disease. Echocardiography is a key diagnostic imaging tool in the diagnosis and surveillance for many of these complications. The baseline assessment and subsequent surveillance of patients undergoing treatment with anthracyclines and/or human epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (HER) 2-positive targeted treatment (e.g. trastuzumab and pertuzumab) form a significant proportion of cardio-oncology patients undergoing echocardiography. This guideline from the British Society of Echocardiography and British Cardio-Oncology Society outlines a protocol for baseline and surveillance echocardiography of patients undergoing treatment with anthracyclines and/or trastuzumab. The methodology for acquisition of images and the advantages and disadvantages of techniques are discussed. Echocardiographic definitions for considering cancer therapeutics-related cardiac dysfunction are also presented.