Retrospective study of acute cardiotoxicity with tyrosine kinase inhibitors for solid tumors in pediatric and adolescent patients

A retrospective study at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Memphis, TN) investigated acute cardiotoxicity of multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (MTKIs) for solid tumors in pediatric and adolescent patients. Among patients without prior cardiotoxicity, 32% developed cardiac toxicity during MTKI treatment, and among patients without prior hypertension, 72% developen hypertension at 6 months. Among patients with sequential echocardiograms, 51% had a ≥5% decline in ejection fraction, but only 4% required MTKI dose reductions as a result of cardiotoxicity. The authors conclude that routine monitoring of cardiac function during MTKI use may enable patients to continue therapy while safegarding cardiovascular health.