Right ventricular function and mechanics in chemotherapy- and radiotherapy-naïve cancer patients

The present research evaluated right ventricular (RV) structure, function and mechanics in the cancer patients before initiation of chemo- or radiotherapy, and the association between cancer and decreased RV longitudinal strain. This retrospective investigation included 101 chemo- and radiotherapy-naïve patients with solid cancer and 38 age- and gender-matched controls with similar cardiovascular risk profile. Echocardiographic examination and strain evaluation was performed in all participants. RV structure and RV systolic and diastolic function estimated with conventional echocardiographic parameters were similar between the cancer patients and controls. However, RV global longitudinal strain (- 22.7 ± 2.6% vs. - 21.1 ± 2.4%, p < 0.001) was significantly decreased in the cancer patients than in controls. The same was revealed for RV free wall endocardial (- 33.6 ± 4.3% vs. - 31.4 ± 4.0%, p = 0.006) and mid-myocardial (- 25.2 ± 3.6% vs. - 23.7 ± 3.8%, p = 0.035) longitudinal RV strains, whereas difference was not found in RV free wall epicardial longitudinal strain. The presence of cancer was independently of age, gender, body mass index, left ventricular hypertrophy, diabetes, hypertension and pulmonary pressure associated with reduced RV global longitudinal strain (OR 3.79; 95% CI 2.18-10.92, p < 0.001), as well as with decreased free wall RV longitudinal strain (OR 5.73; 95% CI 3.17-9.85, p < 0.001). RV strain is deteriorated in the chemo- and radiotherapy-naïve cancer patients. Endocardial and mid-myocardial layers are more affected than epicardial strain in the cancer patients. The presence of cancer is independently of other clinical parameters associated with reduced RV longitudinal strain.