A patient with triple-negative breast cancer received docetaxel chemotherapy. Shortly after treatment, she suffered an acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. This event is a serious heart attack that blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Doctors reviewed this single case along with twelve other published reports and data from a safety database. They found nine other similar instances linked to docetaxel exposure. The evidence points to a direct link between the drug and these heart attacks. The exact pathway remains unclear, but it may involve coronary vasospasm, endothelial dysfunction, or prothrombotic effects. These terms describe tight blood vessel squeezing, lining damage, or increased clotting risk. Because the mechanism is not fully understood, caution is needed. The patient stopped her subsequent docetaxel regimen after this event. This review highlights the importance of proper cardiac management even in patients assessed as low-risk for cardiotoxicity. No relevant cardiovascular factors were present in this specific case. While rare, these events show that patients need monitoring during treatment.
Docetaxel chemotherapy is highly suspect for causing acute myocardial infarction in a low-risk triple-negative breast cancer patientDocetaxel chemotherapy linked to rare heart attack in breast cancer patient
AI-generated summary of the cited source, checked by automated accuracy review. How we work
Key Takeaway
Note that docetaxel is highly suspect for causing acute myocardial infarction even in low-risk patients.
This case report and literature review focuses on acute myocardial infarction occurring after docetaxel chemotherapy in a patient with triple-negative breast cancer. The analysis includes one case report and 12 published case reports reviewed, along with 94 instances from the FAERS database. The primary outcome of interest was acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, which developed after docetaxel chemotherapy administration.
The authors state that it is highly suspect that docetaxel directly caused the acute myocardial infarction. While the exact pathway remains unclear, the mechanism may involve coronary vasospasm, endothelial dysfunction, or prothrombotic effects. The review does not report tolerability data or specific adverse event rates beyond the myocardial infarction itself.
In terms of practice relevance, the case demonstrates timely and proper cardiac management in a patient assessed as low-risk for cardiotoxicity with no relevant cardiovascular factors. The subsequent docetaxel chemotherapy regimen was discontinued following the event. This narrative synthesis underscores the need for vigilance regarding potential cardiotoxicity even when baseline risk appears low.
What this means for you:
Docetaxel may cause rare heart attacks via unclear mechanisms like coronary spasms. More on Myocardial Infarction
THP shows noninferior pCR rates compared to TCbHP in HER2-positive invasive breast cancer
Trial shows omitting carboplatin maintains success in breast cancer
This Phase III randomized controlled trial of 766 women with untreated, stage II and III, HER2-positive invasive breast cancer found that th…
A new clinical trial shows that removing one specific drug can lower severe side effects while maintaining high success rates for certain br…
Chemo-immunotherapy yields 12-month disease-free status in rare triple-negative neuroendocrine breast cancer
A single patient remains disease-free after a new chemo-immunotherapy approach for rare breast cancer
This case report describes a 71-year-old woman with triple-negative neuroendocrine breast cancer treated with paclitaxel, cisplatin, and pem…
A 71-year-old woman with rare breast cancer stayed disease-free for a year using a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy that doctor…
Capivasertib-paclitaxel fails to improve overall survival in metastatic TNBC
New drug combo did not extend life for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer patients in this trial
This phase III RCT in 812 patients with previously untreated metastatic triple-negative breast cancer found that adding capivasertib to pacl…
A large global trial found that adding capivasertib to paclitaxel did not improve overall survival for patients with metastatic triple-negat…
Phase III trial indicates ultra-low-dose nivolumab may improve survival over chemotherapy in advanced solid tumors
A Tiny Dose of This Cancer Drug Is Outperforming Chemo
This Phase III randomized trial evaluated ultra-low-dose nivolumab against standard chemotherapy in patients with advanced solid tumors prog…
Giving a much smaller dose of a powerful cancer drug can extend life with fewer side effects, making treatment more tolerable and accessible…
View Original Abstract ↓
We report the first case of an acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (AMI) induced by docetaxel in a patient with triple-negative breast cancer (BC). Coronary angiography showed severe occlusions in multiple coronary arteries, and timely PCI surgery was successfully performed, saving the patient's life. Docetaxel is a commonly used taxane chemotherapy drug for treating breast cancer, which can cause numerous adverse drug reactions in cancer treatment. However, compared with paclitaxel, reports of docetaxel-induced cardiotoxicity are fewer and generally milder, and acute myocardial infarction induced by docetaxel is extremely rare and potentially fatal when it occurs. Due to this severe adverse drug reaction, the subsequent docetaxel chemotherapy regimen was discontinued. In addition, we review this case alongside 12 published case reports and conduct a comprehensive analysis of 94 reported instances of myocardial infarction associated with taxane use from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database, evaluating their clinical relevance and key characteristics. In this case, we highly suspect that docetaxel directly caused the acute myocardial infarction, and propose that the mechanism may involve coronary vasospasm, endothelial dysfunction, or prothrombotic effects, although the exact pathway remains unclear. This study, through the rare case of a breast cancer patient who experienced acute myocardial infarction after docetaxel chemotherapy, demonstrates timely and proper cardiac management in a patient assessed as low-risk for cardiotoxicity with no relevant cardiovascular factors. Furthermore, through literature review combined with the FAERS database, we further discuss possible mechanisms, influencing factors, and predictive methods to provide clinical reference and warnings.
Meta-analysis finds systemic lupus erythematosus elevates coronary artery disease risk
People with lupus face higher heart disease risk but genetics show no direct link
Related in Cardiology
Unified cardiometabolic disease framework links T2DM, ASCVD, HFpEF, MASLD, hypertension, and CKD via shared pathophysiology
New Framework Links Heart and Kidney Health in Diabetes
This guideline provides a narrative review of the unified cardiometabolic disease (UCD) continuum. It argues that conditions like T2DM, ASCV…
Experts suggest that diabetes, heart failure, and kidney disease may share a single underlying cause rather than being separate conditions.
FDA Approves Repatha (evolocumab) for Cardiovascular Risk Reduction in Adults
FDA approves Repatha to lower heart risks and bad cholesterol
The FDA approved Repatha (evolocumab) to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults at increased risk. It is also indi…
The FDA approved Repatha (evolocumab) to reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other heart problems in high-risk adults. It also lo…
Gut microbiota metabolites drive or protect against atherosclerosis via immune signaling pathways
Gut Bacteria Influence the Progression of Heart Disease
This systematic review synthesizes evidence that microbial-derived signaling molecules promote atherosclerosis through Toll-like receptors a…
New research highlights how specific gut bacteria and their byproducts can either promote or protect against heart disease and arterial plaq…
Macrophage polarization plasticity offers potential for transplant organ repair and rejection control
Macrophage Polarization May Help Manage Organ Transplant Complications
This systematic review examines macrophage polarization into M1 and M2 phenotypes in organ transplantation. The authors synthesize evidence …
New research looks at how shifting immune cell types from inflammatory to reparative could help manage organ transplant issues like fibrosis…
From Other Specialties
Low ADAMTS13 activity linked to ischemic stroke in meta-analysis of 8,993 patients
Low blood protein linked to higher stroke risk
This meta-analysis of 8,993 patients found that lower ADAMTS13 activity is associated with ischemic stroke (SMD -1.12; 95%CI -1.20 to -1.03)…
People with ischemic stroke have lower levels of a key blood protein. Could this be a new risk marker?
Maladaptive responses to chronic hypoxia at high altitude increase ischemic stroke risk through thrombogenesis
Understanding how high altitude environments impact the risk of stroke
This narrative review examines the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke in high-altitude populations exposed to chronic hypoxia and hypobaria.…
Living at high altitudes changes how the body handles low oxygen, which can lead to serious blood flow issues and stroke risks.
Childhood adversity linked to reduced prefrontal gray matter in psychotic and bipolar disorders
Childhood adversity linked to brain changes in psychotic and bipolar disorders
This meta-analysis of 3056 participants found significant negative associations between childhood adversity and gray matter volume in prefro…
New data shows that childhood trauma is linked to specific shrinkage in parts of the brain for people with psychotic and bipolar disorders.
Paclitaxel arm achieves 56.4% pathologic complete response compared to 23.7% with endocrine therapy
Trial shows chemotherapy helps shrink early breast cancer more effectively
This Phase II multicenter randomized trial evaluated neoadjuvant trastuzumab and pertuzumab combined with either endocrine therapy or paclit…
A new trial compares using standard chemotherapy versus hormone therapy to shrink tumors before surgery in patients with HER2-positive breas…