A new clinical study published in the JACC: CardioOncology suggests that it is safe to monitor heart function every six months, rather than the current three-month guideline, during treatment with non-anthracycline HER2-targeted therapy for breast cancer. This reduced surveillance schedule could simplify care for patients considered at low risk for cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD).
The study involved 190 patients with HER2-positive breast cancer treated with non-anthracycline, trastuzumab-based regimens. The qualifying criteria were no prior exposure to anthracycline chemotherapy, no serious heart conditions, and no uncontrolled high blood pressure. Most patients (92%) had early-stage (stage I–III) disease, and the average baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 63.6%.
Instead of the standard three-monthly echocardiograms, heart function was assessed every six months. After a median follow-up of 17.5 months, there were no cases of heart failure or cardiovascular-related deaths. Only one patient (0.5%) experienced asymptomatic CTRCD, which resolved after a temporary pause in therapy.
Adherence to the six-month schedule was high, with over 73% of patients following the protocol in an intention-to-treat analysis.