Cardiotoxicity of anticancer therapies

Cardiovascular diseases and cancer continue to remain major causes of mortality and morbidity. However, overall cancer death rates have declined 20% from their peak in 1991. These declines reflect changing patterns in smoking, prevention, earlier diagnosis, and better treatment options in chemotherapy. It is recognized that this improved survival with better cancer therapies has put patients at risk for cardiovascular disease later in life; this may be secondary to risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease or the effect of anticancer therapies. Earlier detection, identifying patients at risk of developing cardiotoxicity, and early institution of treatment are paramount to decreasing morbidity associated with cardiotoxicity. Adverse cardiac effects have been observed and reported with a wide variety of chemotherapeutic agents. Herein we review cardiac effects of some of the common agents used in oncology.