Willis Knighton Cancer Center has become the first in the region to incorporate the innovative MRI-based platform MyoStrain to identify cancer patients at risk of cardiotoxicity from cancer treatments. Cancer therapies, while lifesaving, can pose risks to cardiovascular health, the damage seen years after survivors have completed treatment.

MyoStrain is a rapid and accurate cardiac software used to detect, manage and monitor patient heart health. The ultrafast MRI technique assesses myocardial dysfunction in the left and right ventricles of the heart in about 10 minutes without use of contrast or need for the patient to hold their breath. It is able to detect subtle changes in cardiac performance often before symptoms begin.

“Early detection allows us to take early action, possibly reversing the process before the damage becomes permanent,” says Lane R. Rosen, MD, radiation oncologist and medical director of radiation oncology at Willis Knighton Health. Doctors at the cancer center collaborate with Kathryn A. Gayle, MD, advanced cardiac imaging cardiologist at Willis Knighton, to tailor treatment plans to minimize risks and then proactively monitor the heart throughout a patient’s treatment. This helps them ensure the best possible outcome.

“As one of the first radiation oncology departments in the United States to incorporate MyoStrain, we focus is on helping patients thrive long after cancer treatment is completed,” Dr. Rosen says.