Key clinical point: Patients with breast cancer (BC), particularly those with left-sided BC who underwent radiotherapy, faced the risk of developing major ischemic events.
Major finding: At a median follow-up of 7.9 years, the incidence of a major ischemic event was reported in 4.1% of patients, with the incidence rate being significantly higher in patients with left-sided vs right-sided BC (P = .044). The risk for major ischemic events increased by 6.2% per Gy increase in the mean heart dose (hazard ratio 1.062; P = .012).
Study details: This retrospective study included 2158 women with BC who received adjuvant radiotherapy.
Disclosures: This study was supported by the Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, and other sources. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: Lai TY et al. Association of radiation dose to cardiac substructures with major ischaemic events following breast cancer radiotherapy. Eur Heart J. 2023 (Aug 16). doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehad462