The Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) questionnaire appears to help monitor patient-reported changes that reflect cardiac function in people receiving certain medications for breast cancer, according to a study involving >400 individuals. Participants received anthracycline and taxane chemotherapy either with or without trastuzumab for node-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–positive early-stage breast cancer. Investigators measured left ventricular ejection fraction and looked at outcomes using DASI. They also reviewed current medications and comorbid conditions. Among the results:

• At a median follow-up of ~9 years among patients who were alive and disease-free, 3% of those who received trastuzumab had a >10% decline in left ventricular ejection fraction from baseline to a value <50%.
• This compared to 5% of patients who did not receive trastuzumab.
• Age and use of medications for hypertension, cardiac conditions, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia were linked with lower DASI scores.
• Trastuzumab use was not linked with lower scores.