Cancer, cancer treatment and aneurysmatic ascending aorta growth within a retrospective single center study

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Kathrin Kobus - , Klinikum Rechts der Isar (MRI TUM) (Author)
  • Bianca Bohmann - , Klinikum Rechts der Isar (MRI TUM) (Author)
  • Manuel Wilbring - , Heart Center Dresden University Hospital (Author)
  • Marvin Kapalla - , Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery (Author)
  • Hans-Henning Eckstein - , Klinikum Rechts der Isar (MRI TUM) (Author)
  • Florian Bassermann - , Klinikum Rechts der Isar (MRI TUM) (Author)
  • Jan A Stratmann - , University Hospital Frankfurt (Author)
  • Adam Wahida - , Klinikum Rechts der Isar (MRI TUM) (Author)
  • Christian Reeps - , Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery (Author)
  • Benedikt J Schwaiger - , Klinikum Rechts der Isar (MRI TUM) (Author)
  • Albert Busch - , Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Klinikum Rechts der Isar (MRI TUM) (Author)
  • Aaron Becker von Rose - , Klinikum Rechts der Isar (MRI TUM) (Author)

Abstract

Background: Multi-morbidity poses a substantial challenge for health care in an aging population. Recent studies did not provide evidence for general side effects of anti-cancer therapy regarding the growth rate of coincident abdominal aortic aneurysms, although it was suggested that specific therapeutic substances might accelerate growth. Aneurysm pathology, however, differs with respect to localization. Hence, we present the first ever analysis on the association of cancer and cancer therapy with growth alteration of aneurysms of the ascending aorta (AscAA). Patients and methods: A retrospective single-center identification of AscAA+cancer patients was performed in the institutional picture archiving and communication system (PACS). Included were all patients with ≥2 CT angiograms over ≥6 months and additional malignancy. Clinical data and aneurysm diameters were retrieved and analyzed for an association of cancer (stratified by tumor entity) or cancer therapy (stratified by several classes of chemotherapeutic agents and radiation therapy) with annual growth rate, respectively. Statistics included t-test, Wilcoxon test, and a linear regression model accounting for initial AscAA diameter and type of treatment. Results: From 2003 to 2021, 151 patients (median age 70 years; 85% male) with AscAA and coincident 163 malignancies were identified. Prostate (37%) and hematologic cancer (17%) were most frequent. One-hundred-eleven patients (74%) received chemotherapy and 75 patients (50%) had radiation. After exclusion of six patients with an initial AscAA diameter >55 mm, the average annual AscAA growth rate was 0.18±0.64 mm/year, with only 12 patients experiencing a growth rate >1mm/year. Neither tumor entity nor radiation or chemotherapy - alone or in combination - were significantly associated with an alteration of the annual AscAA growth rate. Likewise, a subanalysis for singular chemotherapeutic agents did not reveal a specific association with AscAA growth alteration. Conclusions: Growth rates of AscAA are low in this cohort with coincident malignancy. Cancer and/or chemotherapy or radiation are not associated with an alteration of the annual growth rate. Additional control examinations seem unnecessary.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)38-45
Number of pages8
JournalVasa - European Journal of Vascular Medicine
Volume52
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2023
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85142750587

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

Keywords

  • Humans, Male, Aged, Female, Retrospective Studies, Aorta, Thoracic, Aorta/diagnostic imaging, Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal/diagnostic imaging, Neoplasms