Cardiovascular toxicity associated with radiotherapy in breast cancer patients

Abstract

Author(s): Tamara Kuźba Kryszak* and Roman Makarewicz

The progress in breast cancer treatment strategies contributes to the extension of life expectancy and an increase in the number of patients after cancer therapy. Risk factors for cardiac diseases largely influence the risk of left ventricular systolic dysfunction, the most common form of manifestation of toxicity in the cardiovascular system associated with oncological treatment. Diagnosis of cancer does not facilitate the modification of factors that the patient can potentially influence. Virtually all structures of the heart may get damaged during radiotherapy.

The diagnostic methods used to assess cardiovascular toxicity include transthoracic echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, single-photon emission tomography, and positron emission tomography.

Detection of early changes, often without symptoms, is crucial as it allows the selection of patients with an increased risk of cardiac events in the future.

Cardiac complications related to radiotherapy may be underestimated due to the delay in symptom manifestation and their overlap with cardiac events caused by the "standard" risk factors.

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