Cardiotoxicity is a relatively frequent and potentially serious side effect of traditional and targeted cancer therapies. Both general measures and specific pharmacologic cardioprotective interventions as well as imaging- and biomarker-based surveillance strategies to identify patients at high risk have been tested in randomized controlled trials to prevent or attenuate cancer therapy–related cardiotoxic effects. Although meta-analyses including early trials suggest an overall beneficial effect, there is substantial heterogeneity in results. Recent randomized controlled trials of neurohormonal inhibitors in patients receiving anthracyclines and/or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–targeted therapies have shown a lower rate of cancer therapy–related cardiac dysfunction than previously reported and a modest or no sustained effect of the interventions. Data on preventive cardioprotective strategies for novel cancer drugs are lacking. Larger, prospective multicenter randomized clinical trials testing traditional and novel interventions are required to more accurately define the benefit of different cardioprotective strategies and to refine risk prediction and identify patients who are likely to benefit.

Authors
Torbjørn Omland, MD, PHD, MPH
Siri Lagethon Heck, MD, PHD
Geeta Gulati, MD, PHD

Important Dates

Date of Release: March 15, 2022     
Term of Approval/Date of CME/MOC/ECME Expiration: March 14, 2023