Remote electrocardiogram monitoring in cancer patients for detecting cardiotoxicity. Case report

Abstract

Cardiotoxicity is the direct adverse effect of anticancer agents on the function or structure of the heart, occurring both during treatment and many years later. The manifestations of cardiotoxicity can be very different: heart failure, coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, pericarditis, and arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation (AF). The incidence of AF in the cancer patient population during therapy is 20–30%. Current options of remote electrocardiogram monitoring ensure the timely detection and treatment of AF in cancer patients, including the administration of anticoagulants. The article presents a clinical case of a 59-year-old patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the lower third of the esophagus after the first course of the TPF polychemotherapy regimen (docetaxel, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil) with AF detected using a single-channel electrocardiogram monitor in a smartphone case.

Keywords

• cardiotoxicity
• remote monitoring
• chemotherapy
• anticoagulants