Global Longitudinal Strain: Is It Time to Change the Preoperative Cardiac Assessment of Oncology Patients?

Oncol Ther. 2021 Jun;9(1):13-19. doi: 10.1007/s40487-020-00134-0. Epub 2020 Nov 28.

Abstract

The introduction of new anticancer treatment modalities has improved survival rates, transforming cancer into a chronic disease in many instances. One of the most devastating complications of cancer treatment is cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction. Adequate preoperative assessment of any significant cancer therapy-related cardiac impairment is critical, and may be missed with conventional measures. The assessment of global longitudinal strain by speckle-tracking echocardiography is more sensitive for the early detection of cardiac contractility before a decline in ejection fraction can be discovered. Global longitudinal strain can also predict postoperative cardiac dysfunction, which makes it a good alternative for preoperative cardiac assessment in the oncology population when cancer therapies have been administered that can alter normal performance.

Keywords: Cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction; Cardiac dysfunction; Global longitudinal strain; Heart failure; Left ventricular ejection fraction; Oncology; Preoperative cardiac assessment; Speckle-tracking echocardiography.