Changes in Epicardial Adipose Tissue Assessed by Chest CT in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Adjuvant Chemotherapy with Anthracyclines and Trastuzumab
Authors: Liu Yuyao , Zhang Tingjian , Huang Xiao , Shen Li , Yang Quan 
Published: July 2024

Background: Cardiotoxicity (CTX) induced by adjuvant chemotherapy is a significant factor that impacts the prognosis and quality of life in breast cancer (BC) patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate the changes in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) before and after treatment in BC patients who received anthracyclines adjuvant chemotherapy protocol (AC-T) and anthracyclines combined with trastuzumabadjuvant chemotherapy protocol (AC-TH). Additionally, we assessed whether there were any differences in the changes in EAT between the two groups of patients. Our objective was to examine the effects of anthracyclines and trastuzumab on EAT and determine the potential role of EAT changes on CTX. Methods: We reviewed female BC patients who were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy protocols of AC-T and AC-TH, all of whom underwent baseline (T0) and follow-up (T1) chest computed tomography (CT) and echocardiography. A cohort of healthy women, matched in age, underwent two chest CTs. EAT was quantified on chest CT using semi-automated software. CTX was defined as a >10% reduction in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) from baseline, with an absolute value of <53%. Results: A total of 41 BC patients were included in the study, with 23 patients in the AC-T group and 18 patients in the AC-TH group. Additionally, 22 healthy females were included as the normal group. None of the BC patients developed CTX after chemotherapy. The age did not differ significantly between the normal group and the AC-T group (p = 0.341) or the AC-TH group (p = 0.853). Similarly, the body mass index (BMI) of the normal group was comparable to that of the AC-T group (p = 0.377, 0.346) and the AC-TH group (p = 0.148, 0.119) before and after chemotherapy. The EAT volume index (mL/kg/m2) was significantly higher in both the AC-T group (5.11 ± 1.85 vs. 4.34 ± 1.55, p < 0.001) and the AC-TH group (4.53 ± 1.61 vs. 3.48 ± 1.62, p < 0.001) at T1 compared with T0. In addition, both the AC-T group (–72.95 ± 5.01 vs. –71.22 ± 3.91, p = 0.005) and the AC-TH group (–72.55 ± 5.27 vs. –68.20 ± 5.98, p < 0.001) exhibited a significant decrease in EAT radiodensity (HU) at T1 compared to T0. However, there was no significant difference observed in the normal group. At T0, no difference was seen in EAT volume index (4.34 ± 1.55 vs. 3.48 ± 1.62, p = 0.090) and radiodensity (–71.22 ± 3.91 vs. –68.20 ± 5.98, p = 0.059) between the AC-T and AC-TH groups. Similarly, at T1, there was still no significant difference observed in the EAT volume index (–5.11 ± 1.85 vs. 4.53 ± 1.61, p = 0.308) and radiodensity (–72.95 ± 5.00 vs. –72.54 ± 5.27, p = 0.802) between the two groups. Conclusions: BC patients who underwent AC-T and AC-TH adjuvant chemotherapy protocols demonstrated a significant rise in the volume index of EAT, along with a substantial reduction in its radiodensity post-chemotherapy. These findings indicate that alterations in EAT could potentially aid in identifying cardiac complications caused by chemotherapeutic agents and remind clinicians to focus on changes in EAT after adjuvant chemotherapy in BC patients to prevent the practical occurrence of CTX.