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Cardio-oncology: the Nuclear Option

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

Purpose of Review

Cardio-oncology focuses increased effort to decrease cancer treatment-related cardiotoxicity while continuing to improve outcomes. We sought to synthesize the latest in nuclear cardiology as it pertains to the assessment of left ventricular function in preventative guidelines and comparison to other modalities, novel molecular markers of pre-clinical cardiotoxicity, and its role in cardiac amyloid diagnosis.

Recent Findings

Planar ERNA (equilibrium radionuclide angiocardiography) provides a reliable and proven means of monitoring and preventing anthracycline cardiotoxicity, and SPECT ERNA using solid-state gamma cameras may provide reproducible assessments of left ventricular function with reduced radiation exposure. While certain chemotherapeutics have vascular side effects, the use of stress perfusion imaging has still not been adequately studied for routine use. Similarly, markers of apoptosis, inflammation, and sympathetic nerve dysfunction are promising, but are still not ready for uniform usage. SPECT tracers can assist in nonbiopsy diagnosis of cardiac amyloid.

Summary

Nuclear cardiology is a significant contributor to the multimodality approach to cardio-oncology.

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  1. Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Jorge A. Alvarez & Raymond R. Russell

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  1. Jorge A. Alvarez
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Correspondence to Raymond R. Russell.

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Jorge A. Alvarez declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Raymond R. Russell reports that his spouse is employed by Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research.

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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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Alvarez, J.A., Russell, R.R. Cardio-oncology: the Nuclear Option. Curr Cardiol Rep 19, 31 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-017-0844-z

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