Cardiovascular Health during and after Cancer Therapy

Cancers (Basel). 2020 Dec 11;12(12):3737. doi: 10.3390/cancers12123737.

Abstract

Certain cancer treatments have been linked to specific cardiovascular toxicities, including (but not limited to) cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation, arterial hypertension, and myocarditis. Radiation, anthracyclines, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2)-directed therapies, fluoropyrimidines, platinums, tyrosine kinase inhibitors and proteasome inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and chimeric antigen-presenting (CAR)-T cell therapy can all cause cardiovascular side effects. Management of cardiovascular dysfunction that occurs during cancer therapy often requires temporary or permanent cessation of the risk-potentiating anti-neoplastic drug as well as optimization of medical management from a cardiovascular standpoint. Stem cell or bone marrow transplant recipients face unique cardiovascular challenges, as do patients at extremes of age.

Keywords: anthracycline; cardio-oncology; congestive heart failure; myocarditis.

Publication types

  • Review