Cardiovascular toxicities of cancer chemotherapy

Abstract

Cancer chemotherapy has improved over the years with the advent of newer agents, including more targeted chemotherapeutic drugs, resulting in better patient survival. However, with continued use and patient exposure to these drugs, important cardiovascular adverse effects are becoming realized, such as left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure, myocardial ischemia, hypertension, arrhythmias, and pulmonary arterial hypertension. In this article, we review the most common cardiovascular toxicities and their related pathophysiology that occur with the use of these agents.