Radiation therapy (RT) plays an integral role in treating a number of thoracic cancers, despite risks of radiation-induced cardiotoxicity. The purpose of this study is to investigate the capability of advanced the MRI-generated contractility index (ContractiX) for early detection of RT-induced cardiotoxicity in a pre-clinical rat model of thoracic cancer RT. While EF increased post-RT, peak systolic strain and ContractiX significantly decreased post-RT, with more relative reduction in ContractiX compared to strain. Therefore, ContractiX is a sensitive early marker for detection of subclinical cardiac dysfunction post-RT in pre-clinical models.
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