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News
Cardioprotective treatment is nearly absent in adults with blood cancers receiving anthracycline chemotherapy, a new study finds. An analysis of over 13,000 patients revealed that fewer than 3% with AML and fewer than 2% with DLBCL received frontline cardioprotection — despite well-known risks of heart damage. The stark contrast with pediatric patients, where dexrazoxane use has soared to 92%, has researchers calling the adult gap "shocking."
A large real-world study published in JAMA Network Open has revealed a striking gap in cardiac care for adult blood cancer patients: fewer than 3% of those with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and fewer than 2% with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) received cardioprotective prophylaxis alongside first-line anthracycline chemotherapy. Researchers analyzed data from over 13,000 adults and found that use of protective strategies — like dexrazoxane or liposomal anthracycline formulations — was alarmingly rare, despite anthracyclines being linked to cardiotoxicity in roughly 6% of patients and elevated heart failure risk lasting up to 20 years.
The findings are especially striking when compared to pediatric oncology, where dexrazoxane use in children with AML has skyrocketed from 11% (2010–2015) to 92% (2019–2021). Researchers note that adults may actually need cardioprotection more, given their accumulated cardiovascular risk factors going into treatment.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: Adults with blood cancers often carry a lifetime of cardiovascular wear — making chemotherapy-related heart damage potentially more consequential than in children. Closing this care gap could meaningfully improve both cardiac and survival outcomes for a large and vulnerable patient population.
