To investigate the role of extracellular volume (ECV) as a biomarker for cardiotoxicity resulting from cancer therapy, highlighting its potential advantages over existing biomarkers.
Key Findings:
ECV derived from MRI can accurately reflect myocardial composition changes associated with cardiotoxicity, which may lead to improved patient management.
Increased ECV correlates with myocardial edema and fibrosis, indicating early signs of cardiotoxicity that could prompt timely interventions.
ECV may allow for timely therapeutic adjustments in patients undergoing anthracycline-based chemotherapy, potentially improving outcomes.
Interpretation:
ECV serves as a promising biomarker for early detection of cardiotoxicity in cancer therapy, potentially enabling preventive measures and offering advantages over traditional biomarkers.
Limitations:
The review may be limited by the quality and heterogeneity of included studies, as well as potential biases in study selection.
Exclusion of studies with overlapping patient cohorts may affect the comprehensiveness of findings.
Conclusion:
MRI-derived ECV is a valuable biomarker for assessing cardiotoxicity in cancer therapy, warranting further research to validate its clinical application and explore its integration into routine practice.
