Prognosis After Withdrawal of Cardioprotective Therapy in Patients With Improved Cancer Therapeutics–Related Cardiac Dysfunction

Background

The long-term prognosis after the discontinuation of cardioprotective therapy (CPT) in patients with cancer therapeutics–related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) that has shown improvement remains unclear.

Objectives

This study aims to assess the prognosis after CPT withdrawal in patients exhibiting improved CTRCD.

Methods

In this retrospective analysis of a single-center prospective cohort study, patients with improved CTRCD, defined as an increase in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥10 percentage points from the time of CTRCD diagnosis, were included. We analyzed their clinical outcomes, which included hospitalization for heart failure or a decrease in LVEF ≥10 percentage points within 2 years after CTRCD improvement, alongside echocardiographic changes.

Results

The cohort comprised 134 patients with improved CTRCD. The median follow-up duration after CTRCD diagnosis was 368.3 days (Q1-Q3: 160-536 days). After improvement, 90 patients continued CPT (continued group [CG]) and 44 withdrew CPT (withdrawn group [WG]). Among patients whose baseline LVEF at CTRCD diagnosis ranged from 45% to 55%, the final mean LVEF was comparable between both groups (CG: 64.9% ± 4.4% vs WG: 62.9% ± 4.2%; P = 0.059). However, for patients with a baseline LVEF <45%, the final mean LVEF was significantly lower in the WG (CG: 53.3% ± 6.4% vs WG: 48.2% ± 6.9%; P < 0.001). The occurrence of composite major clinical events was notably higher in the WG (HR: 3.06; 95% CI: 1.51-7.73; P = 0.002).

Conclusions

Patients who withdrew CPT after demonstrating improvement in CTRCD experienced worse clinical outcomes. Notably, a significant decrease in LVEF was observed after CPT withdrawal in patients with a baseline LVEF <45%.