Dissertation committee:
Πεκτασίδης Δημήτριος, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ, Επιβλεπων
Στεφανάδης Χριστόδουλος, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Βλαχόπουλος Χαράλαμπος, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Γκόγκα Ελένη, Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Ψυρρή Διαμάντω, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Παπαδημητρίου Χρίστος, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Βαβουρανάκης Εμμανουήλ, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Background: Even though new cancer therapies have improved the overall survival yet in some cases they have been associated with adverse effects including increased cardiotoxicity. The purpose of the present study was to assess the cardiovascular effects of adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancer and mainly the impact on arterial stiffness indices.
Material and Methods: A total of 70 patients with non -metastatic colorectal cancer were included in the study who were treated either with FOLFOX (n=16) or with XELOX (n=54) adjuvant chemotherapy. All patients were subjected to full cardiovascular evaluation at the begging and the end of chemotherapy. Arterial stiffness was assessed by means of pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (Aix), whereas full laboratory examinations were contacted prior and soon after the termination of chemotherapy.
Results: Patients exhibited significantly higher levels of carotid-radial PWV, carotid femoral RWV and Aix post chemotherapy (p<0.001); these findings remained significant when examined separately in each treatment subgroup (FOLFOX, XELOX). The observed changes were independent of treatment regimen and baseline patient characteristics. Univariate regression analyses showed that baseline PWVc-r and PWVc-f were the only factors associated with PWVc-r and PWVc-f change while Aix change was independent of its baseline value.
Conclusion: There is a clear burden in arterial stiffness indices post adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancer in both groups of chemotherapy. This is a finding of important clinical significance however more prospective studies are required in order to encode the possible mechanisms involved.
