Study of Short-term toxicity of Cyclophosphamide and Doxorubicin on the Cardiovascular System in women with Breast cancer treated at the center of radiation and chemotherapy at Tishreen University Hospital

Abstract

Early detection and treatment of breast cancer with appropriate medications and chemotherapy can lead to a cure and reduction of recurrence over time. Chemotherapy causes serious side effects, especially cardiovascular toxicities which can develop and cause more serious harm to patients, although they can be detected during the early stages of treatment by analyzing cardiac enzymes periodically during treatment. So, our study aims to follow patients to detect the incidence of side effects, especially early cardiovascular effects that can develop over time and affect the patient's life. The study included 50 breast cancer newly diagnosed patients [50 women] treated with an alkylating agent (cyclophosphamide) and an anthracin derivative (doxorubicin), the patients were treated at the Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy Center at Tishreen University Hospital. All patients were followed for three months, creatine kinase and troponin analysis were performed for each patient before starting chemotherapy and after three months of treatment. When examining the results, an increase in troponin levels was observed in three patients to 0.03 ng/ml and in six patients more than 0.03 ng/ml and there was statistically significant difference [p value < 0.05], a decrease in the value of creatine kinase was observed after three month and this decrease difference was statistically significant [p value < 0.05]. Analyzing cardiac enzymes is one of the important steps for predicting patients at greatest risk of developing cardiac toxicity, in addition to giving appropriate preventive treatment to avoid its development.