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Published on: September 9, 2020
A rare case of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy
O Fiste1, C Trika, N K Syrigos
1Third Department of Medicine, Oncology Unit, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece. ofiste@med.uoa.gr.
Background:
The recent advent of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitors has considerably evolved hormone receptor (HR)-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative metastatic breast cancer treatment. Palbociclib, an orally administered pyridopyrimidine derivative, was the first CDK4/6 inhibitor to be introduced into daily clinical practice in combination with classic endocrine backbone, based on progression-free survival (PFS) benefit assessed in the pivotal PALOMA series of randomized clinical trials. Regarding its safety profile, neutropenia and leukopenia are the most common and well-defined adverse effects, while cardiac complications are rather scarce.
Case Report:
We present the rare case of a middle-aged female patient with HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer, without prior exposure to cardiotoxic antineoplastic agents, who developed Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) in the context of systemic therapy with palbociclib plus letrozole combination.
Conclusions:
Pharmacovigilance and experimental studies are warranted to confirm any causative relationship and to explore the underlying pathophysiology, respectively.
Insights
Palbociclib, a CDK4/6 inhibitor, is effective for metastatic breast cancer but can rarely cause Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Further research is needed to understand this cardiac complication.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cardiology
Background:
- Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitors represent a significant advancement in treating hormone receptor (HR)-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative metastatic breast cancer.
- Palbociclib, the first CDK4/6 inhibitor, combined with endocrine therapy, demonstrated progression-free survival (PFS) benefits in clinical trials.
- Common side effects include neutropenia and leukopenia, with cardiac complications being rare.
