Childhood cancer survivors are at substantial risk of developing cardiovascular disease even decades after their cancer treatment. In particular, heart failure due to anthracyclines and chest radiotherapy are common late effects. Surveillance programs are in place to early detect cardiac dysfunction, before it potentially progresses into clinical heart failure. However, currently used echocardiographic measures are rather late measures of cardiac dysfunction. My PhD project within this nationwide study focuses on detailed description of prevalence and treatment-related risk factors for cardiac dysfunction measured on echocardiography as well as early detection strategies with myocardial strain analyses. Furthermore we evaluate the joint diagnostic value of blood biomarkers (PhD project Jan Leerink) and electrocardiography (PhD project Esmée de Baat).
Supervisors Radboudumc: Prof. dr. L. Kapusta, Prof. dr. ir. C.L. de Korte, Dr. J. Loonen
Supervisors Prinses Máxima Center: Dr. E.A.M. Feijen, Dr. A.M.C. Mavinkurve-Groothuis, Prof. Dr. L.C.M. Kremer
Supervisors Amsterdam UMC: Prof dr. Y. Pinto, Dr. W.E.M. Kok
Publications:
Merkx R, Duijnhouwer AL, Vink E, Roos-Hesselink JW, Schokking M. Aortic Diameter Growth in Children with a Bicuspid Aortic Valve. Am J Cardiol 2017;120(1):131-136.
Duijnhouwer A, van den Hoven A, Merkx R, et al. Differences in Aortopathy in Patients with a Bicuspid Aortic Valve with or without Aortic Coarctation. J Clin Med. 2020;9(2):290.