Pilot study evaluating the role of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in monitoring adjuvant trastuzumab therapy for breast cancer.

AIM: To explore the incidence of subclinical cardiotoxicity in women treated with adjuvant trastuzumab in the early breast cancer setting using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI). METHODS: The cardiac function and myocardial tissue characteristics of 25 women who had completed adjuvant trastuzumab therapy greater than 6 months previously was evaluated using MRI and comparing this with symptoms and routine echocardiography. RESULTS: Evidence of myocardial tissue damage was seen in two women in the absence of functional change or previous cardiac symptoms. CONCLUSION: Tissue characterization using cMRI may provide a useful tool in defining trastuzumab induced cardiotoxicity.