Adolescent and young adult (AYA) sarcoma patients treated with doxorubicin (Dox) are 8.2 times more likely to develop heart failure later in life. We developed an adolescent cardiotoxicity mouse model and showed that exercise decreased acute Dox-induced heart damage and late cardiotoxicity without decreasing tumor efficacy. We wish to define a set of echo and blood biomarkers in patients that can be used to identify patients at risk for cardiotoxicity and for use in a randomized trial to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of exercise in the AYA sarcoma population. The long-term goal is to reduce acute Dox-induced cardiac injury and late cardiomyopathy. Since Dox-induced cardiotoxicity is t...

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Adolescent and young adult (AYA) sarcoma patients treated with doxorubicin (Dox) are 8.2 times more likely to develop heart failure later in life. We developed an adolescent cardiotoxicity mouse model and showed that exercise decreased acute Dox-induced heart damage and late cardiotoxicity without decreasing tumor efficacy. We wish to define a set of echo and blood biomarkers in patients that can be used to identify patients at risk for cardiotoxicity and for use in a randomized trial to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of exercise in the AYA sarcoma population. The long-term goal is to reduce acute Dox-induced cardiac injury and late cardiomyopathy. Since Dox-induced cardiotoxicity is the 2nd leading cause of death in AYA sarcoma survivors, this study has the potential to change clinical practice by incorporating exercise interventions into the continuum of patient treatment. Such a change can lead to decreased Dox-induced cardiac injury and the cardiac abnormalities seen years after therapy is finished. Decreasing the acute Dox-induced heart damage will in turn improve cardiac health, QOL and long term survival.

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