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How do you approach a patient with unfavorable stage II Hodgkin's lymphoma who achieved cCR after 6 cycles of systemic therapy but developed acute pericarditis with non-malignant effusion after 2 fractions of consolidative radiation therapy?

Signs/symptoms and echo/EKG consistent with pericardial effusion likely secondary to acute pericarditis
2 Answers
Mednet Member
Radiation Oncology · SSM Cancer Center/St Louis CyberKnife
Answered on

Not an answer but a bump to this question in the hopes that someone with experience will provide some input. I have a left breast cancer patient without cardiac history who is halfway through treatment with signs/symptoms and echo/EKG consistent with pericardial effusion likely secondary to acute pericarditis. To continue or not to continue?

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Mednet MemberInvited Expert
Radiation Oncology · University Hospital Basel
Answered on

Unfortunately, I've never had a patient develop such a condition during treatment and can therefore not provide you with any personal experience. I find it odd that this event developed after two fractions of RT and doubt if this is truly radiotherapy-related.

Without having seen the treatment plan and the exposure of the heart to dose, it is difficult to give a recommendation on management. Should it be possible to spare the heart from dose by shrinking the treatment volumes from an IFRT/ISRT-...

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