Chemotherapy Induced Cardiotoxicity

Abstract

Cancer affects approximately 38.4% of the population and is the second leading cause of death in America. Treatment for cancer has improved and the number of cancer survivors is expected to increase from about 11.7 million in 2007 to 18 million by 2020. However, chemotherapy and radiation therapies for cancer can have long lasting effects for patients. One notable side effect is cardiotoxicity, most commonly caused by anthracycline chemotherapeutic agents. There are several detection methods for anthracycline induced cardiotoxicity and treatment options to manage and prevent heart failure. The most promising diagnostic procedure has been tracking the decline of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF). The only approved treatment by the FDA is Dexrazoxane, though it is only approved for patients under 16. Adult patients are treated prophylactically with organic heart failure medications. Efficient detection and rapid treatment have become a high priority due to the increasing number of cancer survivors and therefore increased number of patients who will experience cardiotoxicity from their treatments.