Early reduction in cardiorespiratory fitness and diastolic reserve following radiation therapy for lung cancer

Contemporary radiotherapy for the treatment of lung cancer is effective in targeting tumor tissue while limiting heart exposure, yet cardiac toxicity still occurs, often becoming clinically apparent years later. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular, cancer-related, and overall mortality and may serve as a sensitive measure of subclinical cardiac toxicity following anti-cancer treatments. Prior work has demonstrated a significant relationship between reduced CRF and impaired left-ventricular (LV) diastolic reserve in cancer survivors following thoracic radiotherapy. The purpose of this study was to assess early longitudinal changes in CRF and cardiac function in patients with lung cancer following radiotherapy.