Factors predicting trastuzumab-related cardiotoxicity in a real-world population of women with HER2+ breast cancer.

Abstract

In a real-world 5-year population of patients who received trastuzumab, the incidence of drug-related cardiotoxicity was higher than expected, and the age of the patients appeared to predict the first cardiotoxic event amongst those who experienced cardiotoxicity and had received prior anthracyclines. However, incidence of cardiotoxicity in the whole cohort did not appear to be predicted by age, comorbidity, indication, or exposure to anthracylines. Vigilance, therefore, seems justified when conducting cardiac surveillance for all patients during treatment with trastuzumab, but especially for those who are elderly and receiving concurrent anthracycline therapy.