6^th World Pharmacists & Clinical Pharmacy Annual Congress

Biography

Biography: Sandra Cuellar

Abstract

Major therapeutic strides have been accomplished in oncology. Perhaps one of the best has been in breast cancer. Approximately, 3 million women are breast cancer survivors. However, there is a dark side to that statistic. Instead of women dying of breast cancer, data suggest that these women are dying of cardiovascular disease. Depending on the type of therapy, women can be up to 7 times more likely to develop cardiomyopathy compared to women who doesn’t receive cardiotoxic therapy. The epidemiology data and clinical research are changing the paradigm of cardiotoxicity in cancer therapy. Recently, the American Society of Clinical Oncology published recommendations on the prevention and management of cancer patients undergoing cardiotoxic therapies. Risk factor assessment, imaging and biomarkers have emerged as new strategies to assess and manage these patients. Perhaps, the most intriguing data that has been published in this arena is the use of global longitudinal strain (GLS). Measurement of GLS has demonstrated the ability to predict negative cardiac outcomes. It has the ability to detect subclinical damage to the heart. This concept is radically different than our historic methods of detecting cardiotoxicity. Historically, the preferred and most accepted imaging has been the multigated acquisition or MUGA. However, this time of imaging has limitations, in particular, the ability to detect subclinical cardiotoxicity. It can only detect cardiotoxicity that has already resulted in decline in ejection fraction. This presentation will discuss the epidemiology of cardiotoxicity in cancer patients and discuss the emerging strategies to detect, prevent and manage cardiotoxicity.