Echocardiographic Functional Outcomes Following Regional Nodal Irradiation for Breast Cancer Using Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy.

Purpose: Regional nodal irradiation (RNI) for breast cancer yields improvements in disease outcomes, yet comprehensive target coverage often increases cardiac radiation therapy (RT) dose. Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) may mitigate high-dose cardiac exposure, although it often increases the volume of low-dose exposure. The cardiac implications of this dosimetric configuration (in contrast to historic 3D conformal techniques) remain uncertain.

Nomogram for Predicting Risk of Cancer Therapy-Related Cardiac Dysfunction in Patients With Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Positive Breast Cancer.

Background: Cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) is an important treatment-limiting toxicity for patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer that adversely affects cancer and cardiovascular outcomes. Easy-to-use tools that incorporate readily accessible clinical variables for individual estimation of CTRCD risk are needed.

Methods And Results: From 2004 to 2013, 1440 patients with stage I to III HER2-positive breast cancer treated with trastuzumab-based therapy were identified.

Incremental Utility of First-Pass Perfusion CMR for Prognostic Risk Stratification of Cancer-Associated Cardiac Masses.

Background: Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) differentiates cardiac metastasis (C) and cardiac thrombus (C) based on tissue characteristics stemming from vascularity on late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). Perfusion CMR can assess magnitude of vascularity; utility for cardiac masses (C) is unknown.

Objectives: This study sought to determine if perfusion CMR provides diagnostic and prognostic utility for C beyond binary differentiation of C and C.

Regional nodal irradiation for breast cancer using volumetric modulated arc therapy: Echocardiographic functional outcomes.

Introduction: Regional nodal irradiation (RNI) for breast cancer yields improvements in disease outcomes, yet comprehensive target coverage often increases cardiac radiation (RT) dose. Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) may mitigate high-dose cardiac exposure, although often increases the volume of low-dose exposure. The cardiac implications of this dosimetric configuration (in contrast to historic 3D conformal techniques) remains uncertain.