The Elevation of Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index in a Patient With Malignant Lymphoma Treated With a Combination Therapy of Rituximab and Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Vincristine, and Prednisolone

An increased risk of arteriosclerosis has been noted in cancer survivors. Currently, there are only a few reports available that consider the risk of arteriosclerosis in patients treated with chemotherapy. Patients with an advanced stage B-cell malignant lymphoma are typically treated with a combination therapy of rituximab and cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (R-CHOP). Complications such as diabetes mellitus (DM), hyperlipidemia (HL), and osteoporosis due to prednisolone and cardiotoxicity due to anthracyclines are well known. However, there are no studies that have investigated the link between R-CHOP therapy and arteriosclerosis. We discussed a patient with follicular lymphoma who was evaluated using cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) as an arterial stiffness parameter during R-CHOP therapy in this report. She achived complete remission after the eighth course therapy without complications such as hypertension (HT), HL, DM, and infection. This patient showed elevated CAVI with new plaque formation in the carotid arteries after the end of chemotherapy. These data indicate that R-CHOP therapy may progress the arteriosclerosis.