Left Atrial Strain as a Predictor of Early Anthracycline-Induced Chemotherapy-Related Cardiac Dysfunction: A Pilot Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Chemotherapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) significantly affects patients undergoing anthracycline (AC) therapy, with a prevalence ranging from 2% to 20%. Reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV GLS) are prognostic parameters for CTRCD detection. Our study aimed to investigate the role of emerging parameters such as left atrial strain (LAS). Methods: We searched multiple databases for studies comparing LAS changes post-AC versus pre-AC therapy in patients with cancer. Primary outcomes included left atrial reservoir strain (LASr), left atrial conduit strain (LAScd), and left atrial contractile strain (LASct). RevMan (v5.4) was used to pool the standardized mean difference (SMD) under a random effects model, with p < 0.05 as the threshold for statistical significance. Results: In an analysis of 297 patients across five studies, AC therapy significantly lowered LASr (SMD = −0.34, 95% CI:−0.55, −0.14, I2 = 0%, p = 0.0009) and LAScd (SMD = −0.41, 95% CI: −0.59, −0.23, I2 = 0%, p < 0.00001) levels. Conversely, LASct demonstrated no significant change (SMD = 0.01, 95% CI: −0.21, 0.23, I2 = 9%, p = 0.95). AC therapy also significantly reduced LV GLS (SMD = −0.31, 95% CI: −0.51, −0.11, I2 = 0%, p = 0.003). While not statistically significant, LVEF decreased (SMD = −0.20, 95% CI: −0.42, 0.03, I2 = 0%, p = 0.09), and left atrial volume index trended higher (SMD = 0.07, 95% CI: −0.14, 0.27, I2 = 0%, p = 0.52) after AC therapy. Conclusions: AC treatment led to reduced LAS and LV GLS values, indicating its potential as an early CTRCD indicator. Larger trials are required to fully explore their clinical significance.