Novel Approaches to the Prediction, Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardiac Late Effects in Survivors of Childhood Cancer: A Multi-centre Observational Study
ACUTE COHORT:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Aged <18 years at time of cancer diagnosis
- Diagnosed with a new malignancy (patients with a history of a prior malignancy wlil
be eligible if they have not received any anthracycline chemotherapy or chest
radiation)
- Cancer treatment plan will require therapy with at least one dose of any
anthracycline
- Planned to have all pre-anthracycline echocardiograms (ECHO) at the recruiting site
- Normal cardiac functioning prior to initiation of anthracycline therapy (LV EF > 55%)
- Patients who are uncooperative during the ECHO without sedation or anesthesia will be
included in the study. However, these patients will only undergo clinically
indicated echocardiograms, with no echocardiograms added for purely research purposes
- Provision of signed informed consent by the patient and/or patient's legal guardian
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients who were previously treated with anthracycline chemotherapy or radiation to
the chest.
- Significant congenital heart defects, including patients with any other congenital
cardiac abnormality, except those with a patent foramen ovale or a small ASD.
Patients with familial cardiomyopathies (hypertrophic, dilated and restrictive) will
be excluded.
SURVIVOR COHORT:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Aged < 18 years at time of cancer diagnosis
- Previously diagnosed with cancer and currently in remission
- Patients whose prior treatment plan included therapy with at least one dose of any
anthracycline
- Patients who completed their final dose of anthracycline at least 3 years ago
- Routinely followed at the recruiting site approximately ever 12 months
Exclusion Criteria
- Prior allogeneic stem cell transplant
- Significant congenital heart defects, including patients with any other congenital
cardiac abnormality, except those with a patent foramen ovale or a small ASD.
Patients with familial cardiomyopathies (hypertrophic, dilated and restrictive) will
be excluded.