Cardiovascular imaging 2013 in the International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging

Breakthroughs in modern cancer therapy and elusive cardiotoxicity: Critical research-practice gaps, challenges, and insights

To date, five cancer treatment modalities have been defined. The three traditional modalities of cancer treatment are surgery, radiotherapy, and conventional chemotherapy, and the two modern modalities include molecularly targeted therapy (the fourth modality) and immunotherapy (the fifth modality). The cardiotoxicity associated with conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy is well known. Similar adverse cardiac events are resurging with the fourth modality. Aside from the conventional and newer targeted agents, even the most newly developed, immune‐based therapeutic modalities of anticancer treatment (the fifth modality), e.g., immune checkpoint inhibitors and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T‐cell therapy, have unfortunately led to potentially lethal cardiotoxicity in patients. Cardiac complications represent unresolved and potentially life‐threatening conditions in cancer survivors, while effective clinical management remains quite challenging. As a consequence, morbidity and mortality related to cardiac complications now threaten to offset some favorable benefits of modern cancer treatments in cancer‐related survival, regardless of the oncologic prognosis. This review focuses on identifying critical research‐practice gaps, addressing real‐world challenges and pinpointing real‐time insights in general terms under the context of clinical cardiotoxicity induced by the fourth and fifth modalities of cancer treatment. The information ranges from basic science to clinical management in the field of cardio‐oncology and crosses the interface between oncology and onco‐pharmacology. The complexity of the ongoing clinical problem is addressed at different levels. A better understanding of these research‐practice gaps may advance research initiatives on the development of mechanism‐based diagnoses and treatments for the effective clinical management of cardiotoxicity.

Carotid thin fluttering bands: A new element of arterial wall remodelling? An ultrasound study

Carotid artery ultrasound is a non-invasive and reproducible technique used for early atherosclerotic assessment. Intimal flap has been described in the presence of dissection or mobile plaque rupture, however presence of carotid thin fluttering bands (TFBs) have not been described yet. To investigate frequency, characteristics and impact of TFBs in carotid lumen of patients who underwent carotid ultrasound scan (CUS). 3341 patients were admitted from January 2009 to January 2014. Patients with history of cerebral ischemia (CI) were excluded. In the cases in which TFBs were observed, a 3-months clinical and CUS follow-up (FU) was performed. TFBs were found in 71 patients (2.1%). The mean age was 63.41 ± 11.20 years (range 42-89). All patients showed a mean increase in intima-media thickness. We identified two subgroups: in 22 patients the TFB was related to a carotid plaque while in 49 no carotid plaque was found. TFB mostly originated in the carotid bulb (88.7%) and was similarly located in carotid arteries (49.3% left-side and 50.7% right-side). CUS and clinical FU were available for all patients (mean duration 25.34 months, median 19). CI occurred in none of the patients. TFB disappeared in 13 patients (18.3%) with no sign or symptoms of CI. In 3 of 49 patients without carotid plaque (6.1%), progressive thickening beneath TFB was observed. TFB is a rare finding. Longer FU is needed to evaluate its prognosis. To date, the pathophysiology is unknown, however it could be related to vascular remodeling.