Key result
Pericardiocentesis and anti-inflammatories resolve cardiac tamponade and constrictive physiology in 2 metastatic breast cancer patients.
Why the study?
Comprehensive research was lacking on alternative management approaches, such as pericardiocentesis and anti-inflammatory therapy, to address cardiac tamponade and constrictive physiology risk in metastatic breast cancer.
Does pericardiocentesis combined with anti-inflammatory therapy (prednisolone and colchicine) successfully treat cardiac tamponade and constrictive physiology in patients with metastatic breast cancer?
Case Report (n=2)
Does pericardiocentesis combined with anti-inflammatory therapy (prednisolone and colchicine) successfully treat cardiac tamponade and constrictive physiology in patients with metastatic breast cancer?
Pericardiocentesis combined with anti-inflammatory therapy (prednisolone and colchicine) may be an effective management strategy for cardiac tamponade and constrictive physiology in patients with metastatic breast cancer, allowing for the continuation of effective systemic anticancer therapy.
Despite significant advancements in systemic anticancer therapies, cardiac tamponade remains a serious and potentially life-threatening complication in metastatic breast cancer (MBC). However, there is a paucity of comprehensive research investigating alternative management approaches, such as pericardiocentesis and anti-inflammatory therapy (AIT), to effectively address cardiac tamponade and mitigate the risk of heart failure arising from constrictive physiology (CP) in patients with MBC when traditional systemic anticancer drugs fail to yield favorable outcomes. Herein, we describe two cases of MBC with cardiac tamponade that occurred despite the administration of effective systemic anticancer drugs. In each case, pericardial effusion was detected in a patient who was undergoing palliative anticancer therapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive MBC. The patients in these cases were successfully treated with pericardiocentesis and AIT (prednisolone and colchicine) for subsequent CP without substitution with their systemic anticancer drugs. Cardiac tamponade and CP are regarded as signs of advanced cancer and are associated with a worse clinical outcome in general; however, they can still be treated with an effective anticancer drug, pericardiocentesis, and management of CP by cardiooncology specialists.
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Lee et al. (2023) conducted a case report in Metastatic breast cancer with cardiac tamponade (n=2). Pericardiocentesis and anti-inflammatory therapy (prednisolone and colchicine) was evaluated on Treatment success for cardiac tamponade and constrictive physiology. Pericardiocentesis and anti-inflammatory therapy (prednisolone and colchicine) successfully treated cardiac tamponade and constrictive physiology in 2 patients with metastatic breast cancer.
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