Right ventricular function and mechanics in chemotherapy- and radiotherapy-naïve cancer patients

The present research evaluated right ventricular (RV) structure, function and mechanics in the cancer patients before initiation of chemo- or radiotherapy, and the association between cancer and decreased RV longitudinal strain. This retrospective investigation included 101 chemo- and radiotherapy-naive patients with solid cancer and 38 age- and gender-matched controls with similar cardiovascular risk profile. Echocardiographic examination and strain evaluation was performed in all participants. RV structure and RV systolic and diastolic function estimated with conventional echocardiographic parameters were similar between the cancer patients and controls. However, RV global longitudinal strain (− 22.7 ± 2.6% vs. − 21.1 ± 2.4%, p