Myocardial Strain during Surveillance Screening Is Associated with Future Cardiac Dysfunction among Survivors of Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult-Onset Cancer

Cardiovascular disease is a leading contributor to mortality among childhood, adolescent and young adult (C-AYA) cancer survivors. While serial cardiovascular screening is recommended in this population, optimal screening strategies, including the use of echocardiography-based myocardial strain, are not fully defined. Our objective was to determine the relationship between longitudinal and circumferential strain (LS, CS) and fractional shortening (FS) among survivors. This single-center cohort study retrospectively measured LS and CS among C-AYAs treated with anthracycline/anthracenedione chemotherapy. The trajectory of LS and CS values over time were examined among two groups of survivors: those who experienced a reduction of >5 fractional shortening (FS) units from pre-treatment to the most recent echocardiogram, and those who did not. Using mixed modeling, LS and CS were used to estimate FS longitudinally. A receiver operator characteristic curve was generated to determine the ability of our model to correctly predict an FS ≤ 27%. A total of 189 survivors with a median age of 14 years at diagnosis were included. Among the two survivor groups, the trajectory of LS and CS differed approximately five years from cancer diagnosis. A statistically significant inverse relationship was demonstrated between FS and LS -0.129, p = 0.039, as well as FS and CS -0.413, p < 0.001. The area under the curve for an FS ≤ 27% was 91%. Among C-AYAs, myocardial strain measurements may improve the identification of individuals with cardiotoxicity, thereby allowing earlier intervention.