Cardiotoxicity among adult survivors suffered from childhood malignancies

• Published in: Hellenic journal of nuclear medicine Vol. 22 Suppl 2; pp. 34 - 40
• Main Authors: Petropoulos, A C, Moschovi, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greece 01.09.2019
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Anthracyclines - adverse effects; Anthracyclines - metabolism; Antineoplastic Agents - adverse effects; Atherosclerosis - complications; Cancer Survivors; Cardiotoxicity - etiology; Cardiovascular Diseases - chemically induced; Child; Echocardiography; Female; Heart Diseases - chemically induced; Heart Failure - chemically induced; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasms - complications; Prognosis; Radiotherapy - adverse effects; Risk; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1790-5427

Late cardiotoxicity following treatment of malignancy diseases has been long established. Cancer therapeutics-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD), acute arrhythmias, pericardial disease, valvopathies and early atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), are the clinical presentations of cardiotoxicity. Although these clinical modalities can affect adults treated for malignancies, they are more common to present in the pediatric survivors as improvement of prognosis, nowadays exists. Studies have shown that CVD can present earlier than thirty years, post treatment. If adding on this the early and late effect of cardiotoxicity on the developing in childhood cardiovascular system, we are then faced with a new Risk Factor (RF) for CVD. Anthracyclines and its derivatives have served for over fifty years as the road model of studding early, mid and late term cardiotoxicity. Today a vast number of chemical agents are used, many of them with very good results in treating the existing malignancies. Unfortunate, little or even less are known on their potential mechanism of derived cardiotoxicity when used by their own or combined with others and/or radiotherapy (RT). The 2013 existing guidelines by ACC/AHA on surveillance of the cardiovascular health of oncology survivors, are mostly addressing early cardiac adverse effects and CTRCD. Little is mentioned about the development of early CVD, its subclinical diagnosis, prevention and the need of early intervention before clinical events are present. The aim of this paper is to review the exist knowledge and practice on this condition with growing numbers of survivors facing the risk of early atherosclerotic CVD.