Is paclitaxel less cardiotoxic in the treatment of breast cancer before or after doxorubicin? / Qual estratégia terapêutica é menos cardiotóxica no tratamento do câncer de mama: uso de paclitaxel antes ou depois da doxorrubicina?

Background: The combination of doxorubicin (DOX) with paclitaxel (PTX) effectively treats breast cancer (BC). However, DOX-associated cardiotoxicity (CTX) is aggravated by the use of PTX. Consensus is lacking about which drug sequence involves the most CTX. Objectives: To evaluate whether DOX followed by PXT or the reverse sequence has the greatest cardiotoxic potential in the treatment of BC. Methods: Prospective study of women with primary BC who received four cycles of DOX and 12 infusions of PTX. Participants were divided into Group 1 (G1; PXT before DOX) and Group 2 (G2; DOX before PXT) at the discretion of the oncologist. CTX was defined as an absolute reduction in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) > 10% to a value <53%. Patients underwentclinical evaluations and echocardiography before treatment (Phase 1) and one year after treatment (Phase 2). Results: Sixty-nine women were evaluated: 19 in G1 and 50 in G2. The groups had similar clinical characteristics. The doses of radiation, DOX, and PTX used were similar. Eight (11.6%) patients developed CTX: two (10.5%) in G1 and six (12.0%) in G2 (p=0.62). The mean LVEF was similar between groups in Phase 1 (G1=65.1±3.5%; G2=65.2±3.9%; p=0.96), with a significant reduction noted after one year in both groups: G1=61.4±8.1% (p=0.021) and G2=60.8±7.6% (p<0,001). Although lower, mean LVEF remained similar between groups after Phase 2 (p=0.79). Conclusions: In women with BC who underwent chemotherapy, the incidence of CTX at the end of the first year of treatment was similar regardless of whether DOX was used before or after PTX. (AU)

Valvotomia mitral percutânea em paciente com síndrome de Lutembacher como ponte para intervenção definitiva / Percutaneous mitral valvotomy in a patient with Lutembacher Syndrome as a bridge to definitive surgical intervention

Paciente com 45 anos de idade, do sexo feminino, testemunha de Jeová, portadora de síndrome de Lutembacher, com insuficiência cardíaca congestiva (ICC) grau funcional IV da New York Heart Association (NYHA) e desnutrição grave. O ecocardiograma revelou comunicação interatrial tipo ostiumsecundum, com 38 mm de diâmetro; área valva mitral de 0,5 cm², com escore de Wilkins de 10; hipertensão pulmonar grave, com pressão sistólica estimada em 96 mmHg; ventrículodireito com significativa dilatação e disfunção grave; e insuficiência valvar tricúspide grave. Apesar do tratamentoclínico otimizado, não houve melhora do quadro de ICC nem do estado geral, motivando a mudança da conduta detratamento cirúrgico inicial para tratamento em dois tempos,primeiramente por meio de valvotomia mitral por balão, como ponte para a cirurgia. A área valvar mitral pós-procedimento aumentou para 1,34 cm². A paciente evoluiu com significativamelhora clínica, sendo realizada cirurgia 120 dias após, com substituição da válvula mitral por uma prótese mecânica e atriosseptoplastia com patch de pericárdio bovino, além de cerclagem da válvula tricúspide. A alta hospitalar ocorreu 11 dias após a cirurgia. Atualmente, encontra-se no sexto mêspós-procedimento cirúrgico, evoluindo com estabilidade clínica e melhora da qualidade de vida.

A 45-year-old female patient, Jehovah's Witness, was diagnosed with Lutembacher syndrome, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IV congestive heart failure (CHF) and severe malnutrition. Echocardiogram showed an ostium secundum atrial septal defect, 38 mm in diameter, mitral valve area of 0.5 cm2, Wilkins score of 10, severe pulmonary hypertension, estimated systolic pressure of 96 mmHg, right ventricle with significant dilation and severe dysfunction and severe tricuspid valve insufficiency. Despite optimal clinical treatment, there was no improvement of CHF or the patient's overall condition, which led to a change in the initial conduct of surgical treatment to a two-stage therapy, starting with balloon mitral valvotomy, as a bridge to surgery. Postoperative mitral valve area increased to 1.34 cm2. The patient evolved with significant clinical improvement, and surgery was performed 120 days later with mitral valve replacement by a mechanical valve and atrioseptoplasty using a bovine pericardial patch in addition to tricuspid valve cerclage. Patient was discharged 11 days after the surgery and is currently on the sixth postoperative month, evolving with clinical stability and improvement in quality of life.