Trial results investigating natriuretic peptide concentrations during anesthesia in breast cancer patients were posted on 2025-10-01. The study enrolled 54 participants to assess NT-proBNP levels in those previously treated with anthracyclines compared to those who were not.
Background
Anthracycline chemotherapy, a common treatment for breast cancer, carries a known risk of cardiotoxicity. Despite existing clinical and echocardiographic monitoring, this remains a significant concern. Patients undergoing breast cancer treatment may require surgery under general anesthesia following chemotherapy. While interactions between general anesthetics and anthracyclines affecting systolic function are rarely documented, instances of perianesthetic heart failure or conduction disturbances have been observed in patients who have received or are currently receiving anthracyclines. The determination of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentration is a diagnostic tool utilized in detecting cardiac dysfunction.
Trial design
This completed study, which did not specify a phase, enrolled 54 participants with Breast Cancer. The trial aimed to assess natriuretic peptide concentrations during anesthesia, comparing patients previously treated with anthracyclines against those who had not received such treatment. No specific interventions were listed, indicating an observational study design focused on biomarker measurement.
Key results
The study measured NT-proBNP concentrations at various time points:
- Pre-operative Concentration of NT-proBNP:
- In participants not previously treated with anthracyclines, the mean concentration was 38.9 pg/ml (Standard Deviation 27.0).
- In participants previously treated with anthracyclines, the mean concentration was 32.2 pg/ml (Standard Deviation 18.4).
- Concentration of NT-proBNP at the End of Intervention:
- In participants not previously treated with anthracyclines, the mean concentration was 42.2 pg/ml (Standard Error 28.0).
- In participants previously treated with anthracyclines, the mean concentration was 34.6 pg/ml (Standard Error 20.0).
- Post-operative Concentration of NT-proBNP:
- In participants not previously treated with anthracyclines, the mean concentration was 107.6 pg/ml (Standard Deviation 79.1).
- In participants previously treated with anthracyclines, the mean concentration was 75.9 pg/ml (Standard Deviation 61.1).
Statistical analyses using the Wilcoxon (Mann-Whitney) method showed p-values of 0.714, 0.492, and 0.183 for the comparisons between groups.
What this means
The results indicate that there was no statistically significant difference in NT-proBNP concentrations between breast cancer patients previously treated with anthracyclines and those not treated, at pre-operative, end of intervention, or post-operative time points. The Wilcoxon (Mann-Whitney) analyses yielded p-values of 0.714, 0.492, and 0.183, suggesting that the observed differences in mean NT-proBNP levels between the groups could be due to chance. This implies that, within the scope of this study, prior anthracycline exposure did not significantly impact NT-proBNP levels during and after anesthesia in this cohort.
Source
The information for these trial results was sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for the study NCT01754597 were posted on 2025-10-01 on clinicaltrials.gov.