Pediatric blood & cancer
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Pediatric blood & cancer · May 2009
Abnormal NT-pro-BNP levels in asymptomatic long-term survivors of childhood cancer treated with anthracyclines.
Anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity can cause serious health problems for an increasing number of survivors of childhood malignancies. The aims of this study were to document plasma concentrations of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and NT-pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) in a large group of asymptomatic long-term survivors of childhood cancer treated with anthracyclines, and to study the relation of the abnormal biomarker levels with different risk factors for anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity and conventional echocardiographic parameters. ⋯ Cardiac TnT does not contribute to the early detection of late onset anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. Abnormal levels of NT-pro-BNP were detected in 13% of 122 asymptomatic, long-term survivors of childhood cancer. Follow-up of these survivors is essential to answer the question whether NT-pro-BNP is an early marker for late onset anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity.