An increased incidence of complications of atherosclerosis has been noted in cancer survivors. The aim of the present study was to evaluate, in patients with breast carcinoma, the effect of antracycline-based chemotherapy on carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), myocardial perfusion, assessed by single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) and laboratory parameters associated with the risk of atherosclerosis. Thirty-six patients with breast cancer were evaluated before and after anthracycline-based chemotherapy. Retinol, alpha-tocopherol, glycosylated hemoglobin and urinary neopterin were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Peripheral blood cell count, D-dimers, fibrinogen, antithrombin, glucose, magnesium, creatinine, uric acid, albumin, C-reactive protein, lipoprotein (a), cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, homocysteine, urinary albumin and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) were determined with routine methods. No significant differences were observed between patients and 16 controls. Compared to the measurement before the start of therapy, peripheral blood leukocyte and platelet count, hemoglobin, creatinine, HDL cholesterol, retinol, albumin, urinary albumin and NAG decreased, and total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, neopterin and mean IMT increased significantly after the treatment. Of the 36 patients who had SPECT after treatment, perfusion defects were noted only in two cases, including the patient who had perfusion defects at baseline examination and a patient who did not have a baseline SPECT. In conclusion, a significant increase in carotid IMT, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and urinary neopterin and a decrease of peripheral blood leukocyte and platelet counts, hemoglobin, creatinine, HDL cholesterol, retinol, albumin and NAG were observed after the treatment.

• MeSH
• Anthracyclines adverse effects   MeSH
• Atherosclerosis blood   complications   epidemiology   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Carotid Intima-Media Thickness MeSH
• Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon MeSH
• Carcinoma complications   drug therapy   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Myocardium pathology   MeSH
• Breast Neoplasms complications   drug therapy   MeSH
• Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols adverse effects   MeSH
• Risk Factors MeSH
• Tunica Intima pathology   MeSH
• Tunica Media pathology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Anthracyclines MeSH