Optimizing Cardiovascular Care in Children With Acute Myeloid Leukemia to Improve Cancer-Related Outcomes

The Oncology Grand Rounds series is designed to place original reports published in the Journal into clinical context. A case presentation is followed by a description of diagnostic and management challenges, a review of the relevant literature, and a summary of the authors' suggested management approaches. The goal of this series is to help readers better understand how to apply the results of key studies, including those published in Journal of Clinical Oncology, to patients seen in their own clinical practice. A 14-year-old African American female presented with fatigue, easy bruising, and fever. On examination, she had scattered bruising, lymphadenopathy, and hepatosplenomegaly. Laboratory evaluation revealed pancytopenia with peripheral blasts, and acute myeloid leukemia (AML; French-American-British M2, t[8;21][q22;q22.1]) was diagnosed on bone marrow biopsy. A baseline echocardiogram revealed normal left ventricular (LV) systolic function (ejection fraction [EF], 60%; shortening fraction [SF], 32%), and conventional chemotherapy was initiated that consisted of two cycles of remission induction (cytarabine, etoposide, and daunorubicin [50 mg/m² × 3 days per cycle]) followed by intensification 1 (high-dose cytarabine and etoposide), intensification 2 (high-dose cytarabine and mitoxantrone [12 mg/m²/dose daily; four total doses]), and intensification 3 (high-dose cytarabine and l-asparaginase). Of note, an echocardiogram was not repeated before the start of intensification 1. During intensification 1, the patient developed Streptococcus viridans sepsis, which required 4 days in the intensive care unit with antimicrobial and inotropic support. Repeat echocardiogram after recovery from the sepsis episode demonstrated low-normal LV systolic function (EF, 53%; SF, 27%), and she subsequently began intensification 2. On day 3 of intensification 2, the patient developed afebrile tachypnea, tachycardia, and an increasing oxygen requirement. Chest x-ray revealed cardiomegaly and pulmonary vascular congestion. Cardiac troponins were normal, whereas N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide was 10 times the upper limit of normal. Repeat echocardiogram showed an enlarged LV with moderate to severely depressed LV function (EF, 28%; SF, 14%). Day 4 mitoxantrone was omitted and a cardiology consult obtained.