Incidence and Risk Factors for Development of Cardiac Toxicity in Adult Patients with Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The incidence of cardiac morbimortality in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is not well known. We aim to estimate the cumulative incidence (CI) of cardiac events in AML patients and to identify risk factors for their occurrence. We observed a high incidence of cardiac events (58.5%) among 525 treated patients, coupled with significant mortality due to cardiotoxicity (3.6%). The presence of relevant cardiac antecedents was the main risk factor for developing fatal cardiac events (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.9). Age ≥ 65 (HR = 2.2), relevant cardiac antecedents (HR = 1.4), and non-intensive chemotherapy (HR = 1.8) were associated with non-fatal cardiac events. We observed that, among 285 intensive therapy patients, median overall survival was decreased in those experiencing grade 3–4 cardiac events (p < 0.001). We identified prognostic factors that increase the risk of cardiac events, which may be useful in selecting high-risk patients for stringent cardiac monitoring and management. ABSTRACT: The incidence of cardiac morbimortality in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is not well known. We aim to estimate the cumulative incidence (CI) of cardiac events in AML patients and to identify risk factors for their occurrence. Among 571 newly diagnosed AML patients, 26 (4.6%) developed fatal cardiac events, and among 525 treated patients, 19 (3.6%) experienced fatal cardiac events (CI: 2% at 6 months; 6.7% at 9 years). Prior heart disease was associated with the development of fatal cardiac events (hazard ratio (HR) = 6.9). The CI of non-fatal cardiac events was 43.7% at 6 months and 56.9% at 9 years. Age ≥ 65 (HR = 2.2), relevant cardiac antecedents (HR = 1.4), and non-intensive chemotherapy (HR = 1.8) were associated with non-fatal cardiac events. The 9-year CI of grade 1–2 QTcF prolongation was 11.2%, grade 3 was 2.7%, and no patient had grade 4–5 events. The 9-year CI of grade 1–2 cardiac failure was 1.3%, grade 3–4 was 15%, and grade 5 was 2.1%; of grade 1–2, arrhythmia was 1.9%, grade 3–4 was 9.1%, and grade 5 was 1%. Among 285 intensive therapy patients, median overall survival decreased in those experiencing grade 3–4 cardiac events (p < 0.001). We observed a high incidence of cardiac toxicity associated with significant mortality in AML.