Pacemaker Malfunction During Passive Proton Beam Therapy for Localized Prostate Cancer: Case Reports and a Literature Review

Cureus. 2023 Sep 29;15(9):e46223. doi: 10.7759/cureus.46223. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Abstract

We report two cases of pacemaker malfunction occurring during proton beam therapy (PBT) for localized prostate cancer treatment. The first case involved mode changes in the pacemaker, while the second exhibited prolongation of the RR interval. Remarkably, both cases did not manifest significant clinical changes. Our findings indicate that careful consideration should be given to passive PBT in patients with localized prostate cancer who have pacemakers, like the considerations in patients with thoracic and abdominal cancers. Moreover, our report highlights the importance of recognizing potential cardiac implantable electronic devices malfunction in various PBT scenarios.

Keywords: cardiac implantable devices; pacemaker; prostate cancer; proton therapy; radiotherapy (rt).

Publication types

  • Case Reports