Early Development of Atherosclerotic Plaques in the Coronary Arteries after Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer (BACCARAT Study)

Background—Radiotherapy (RT) for breast cancer (BC) can lead to an increased risk of coronary artery disease several years after RT. The aim of this study was to evaluate the development of overall, non-calcified and calcified atherosclerotic plaques over 2 years after BC for RT and associations with cardiac exposure. Methods—The study included 101 left- or right-sided BC patients treated with RT without chemotherapy. A coronary CT angiography was performed before and 2 years after RT. Plaque development thorough the entire coronary network was defined as an increased number of plaques. Cardiac exposure was quantified with mean doses to the heart, left ventricle, and coronary arteries. Logistic regression models were used to assess association with doses. Results—At inclusion, 37% of patients had plaques, increasing to 42% two years after RT. Overall plaque development was observed in seven patients: five with calcified plaque development and four with non-calcified plaque development. The risk of overall plaque development was significantly associated with doses to the Left Main and Circumflex coronary arteries (OR at 1 Gy = 2.32, p = 0.03 and OR at 1 Gy = 2.27, p = 0.03, respectively). Specific analyses for calcified and non-calcified plaque development showed similar results. Conclusion—Our study suggests an association between coronary arteries exposure and the risk of developing both calcified and non-calcified atherosclerotic plaques over 2 years after BC RT. Trial registration number: NCT02605512.