Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 18, 2025

Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Breast Cancer-related Lymphedema
Published on: January 12, 2017
Perturbations of Adjuvant Chemotherapy on Cardiovascular Responses and Exercise Tolerance in Patients with
Hsin-Fu Lin1, Ching-Ying Tseng2, Toby Mündel3
1Department of Athletics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.
Background:
Adjuvant chemotherapies are commonly used for treating early-stage breast cancer. However, whether chemotherapeutic regimens affect exercise tolerance and cardiovascular responses remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effects of receiving CAF and AC-T on exercise tolerance and cardiovascular responses in patients with early-stage breast cancer.
Methods:
Thirty-four patients with breast cancer (age: 44 ± 1 years; stage I-II) received either CAF (n = 15) or AC-T (n = 19), depending on clinical decisions. Their step-exercise tolerance and cardiovascular responses were assessed before and after chemotherapy.
Results:
After chemotherapy, there were no differences in baseline measurements between patients receiving CAF or AC-T. The increases in resting heart rate (RHR) of those receiving AC-T was significantly greater than that of those receiving CAF. CAF and AC-T did not result in increased pulse wave velocity (PWV), yet the subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR) in patients receiving AC-T was significantly lower than the baseline. Greater change in post-exercise heart rate recovery (recovery HR) after chemotherapy was observed in those who had received AC-T; the Recovery HR in AC-T patients was significantly higher during post-exercise period than that in CAF patients.
Conclusions:
AC-T chemotherapy increases RHR and impairs exercise tolerance after chemotherapy more than CAF. Moreover, AC-T also lowers myocardial perfusion more than CAF after chemotherapy.
Related Concept Videos
Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
Cardiomyopathy VII: Pre and Post Operative Nursing Management
Heart Failure VI: Adjunct Therapies
Heart Failure Drugs: β-Blockers
Exercise and Cardiac Output
Sustained exercise increases the muscles' oxygen demand, which can be...
Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System V: CT

