Temporal dynamics of cardiac biomarkers in therapy‑related cardiotoxicity: a prospective cardio‑oncology cohort study

Cardiotoxicity associated with antineoplastic therapies remains an important clinical challenge in modern oncology. Early identification of subclinical cardiac injury may improve cardiovascular surveillance and long-term outcomes in cancer patients.

This prospective observational cohort study included 90 adult patients with breast cancer, lymphoma, or lung cancer receiving potentially cardiotoxic therapy. Patients with clinically manifest heart failure, severe arrhythmias, advanced renal disease, recent acute myocardial infarction, untreated severe valvular disease, or other major cardiovascular comorbidities were excluded. High-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), NT-proBNP, and soluble ST2 (sST2) were measured at baseline, during treatment, at therapy completion, and at late follow-up. Non-parametric tests were used for repeated-measures and subgroup comparisons.

Significant temporal variations were observed for all biomarkers. hs-cTnT increased from 5 [3-8] ng/L at baseline to 15 [10-25] ng/L at T2, while NT-proBNP increased from 120 [80-190] pg/mL to 210 [150-320] pg/mL. sST2 demonstrated a delayed elevation and remained increased at follow-up. Distinct biomarker patterns were observed across malignancy subgroups, with higher hs-cTnT increases in breast cancer, more prominent NT-proBNP elevation in lymphoma, and higher sST2 values in lung cancer.

Serial biomarker assessment may provide complementary information on myocardial injury, ventricular stress, and fibrotic remodeling during cancer therapy. The observed biomarker trajectories are suggestive of different biological processes involved in therapy-related cardiotoxicity, but they should be interpreted in conjunction with imaging findings and clinical outcomes.