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Curing Cancer, Saving the Heart: A Challenge That Cardioncology Should Not Miss

  • Cardio-Oncology (SA Francis, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Advances in oncologic therapies have led to considerable improvements in prognosis and survival. However, these improvements may ultimately be diminished by the increase of cardiovascular side effects. Typically, both conventional and new antitumoral therapies may induce asymptomatic or symptomatic left ventricular dysfunction. Its development still remains a major deterrent that may compromise clinical effectiveness of cancer treatment, independently of the oncologic prognosis, having a serious impact on the patient’s survival and quality of life. Hence, prevention of cardiotoxicity remains a crucial topic both for cardiologists and oncologists. Many strategies to mitigate the risk of cardiotoxicity have been developed, including cardiac function monitoring, limitation of chemotherapy doses, use of anthracycline analogues and cardioprotectants, and early detection of cardiotoxicity by biomarkers, followed by prophylactic intervention in selected high risk patients. We reviewed the currently available approaches which have been demonstrated to be effective in preventing or limiting cancer drug-induced cardiotoxicity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cardioncology Unit, European Institute of Oncology, I.R.C.C.S., Via Ripamonti 435, 20141, Milan, Italy

    Daniela Cardinale

  2. Cardiology Division, European Institute of Oncology, I.R.C.C.S., Milan, Italy

    Gina Biasillo & Carlo Maria Cipolla

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  1. Daniela Cardinale
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  2. Gina Biasillo
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  3. Carlo Maria Cipolla
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Correspondence to Daniela Cardinale.

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Daniela Cardinale, Gina Biasillo, and Carlo Maria Cipolla declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Cardio-Oncology

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Cardinale, D., Biasillo, G. & Cipolla, C.M. Curing Cancer, Saving the Heart: A Challenge That Cardioncology Should Not Miss. Curr Cardiol Rep 18, 51 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-016-0731-z

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