Introduction: Carfilzomib is a proteasome inhibitor that is known to be associated with cardiotoxicity. Current clinical data on Carfilzomib associated with cardiotoxicity is generated in clinical trials from which patients with severe cardiovascular comorbidities were excluded. In this study, we have reported real-word experience on outcome of cardiotoxicity in patients managed by physicians in a community setting.
Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis evaluating for cardiac complications in MM patients who received Carfilzomib at our institution in the last 5 years. Pre- and post-therapy echocardiogram findings were compared. Chi-square tests were used to compare categorical variables with an α level set at 0.05 for statistical significance.
Results: Among the 28 identified patients who had pre- and post- Carfilzomib therapy echocardiogram imaging, (18 patients, 64%) had at least one echocardiographic abnormality. The main changes were in heart functions (10/28), whereas systolic dysfunction is seen in 9 patients while only one patient had diastolic dysfunction, pulmonary artery pressure (6/28), and wall motion abnormalities (5/28). (11/28) patients had disease progression. We did not notice any correlation to variables such as; age, duration of therapy, dose differences, and number of lines of therapies. Furthermore, two patients were rechallenged with Carfilzomib after echocardiographic worsening; one of them tolerated the treatment well, while the other had further worsening that led to holding the therapy.
Conclusion: Several echocardiographic changes could be related to Carfilzomib therapy. Our study was limited due to the sample size and the retrospective nature of the analysis. Larger studies are needed to detect and correlate more echocardiogram variables in this population. Rechallenging these patients with Carfilzomib, particularly during relapse stages, will remain a difficult decision especially if the therapy was effective.
Raza:Advisory board Incyte, Amgen, Celgene, Kite, Janseen, Takeda: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Moderna: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Drrx: Divested equity in a private or publicly-traded company in the past 24 months; Gilead, Sierra, Abbot, Acasti, Amicus: Current equity holder in private company; Received Honorarium/speaker bureu from Janseen, Celgene, Takeda: Ended employment in the past 24 months, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau.
Author notes
Asterisk with author names denotes non-ASH members.
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