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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Chemotherapy-induced Vascular Toxicity - Real-time In vivo Imaging of Vessel Impairment
04:48

Chemotherapy-induced Vascular Toxicity - Real-time In vivo Imaging of Vessel Impairment

Published on: January 7, 2015

Vascular toxicity of antineoplastic agents

Nasir Shahab1, Syed Haider, Donald C Doll

  • 1Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Medical Oncology, Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO 65203, USA. shahabna@health.missouri.edu

Seminars in Oncology
|February 14, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Cancer chemotherapy can cause vascular toxicity, often overlooked due to similar symptoms from cancer or other causes. Recognizing these chemotherapy-induced vascular syndromes is crucial for patient care.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Vascular Medicine
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Vascular toxicity is an under-recognized adverse effect of cancer chemotherapy.
  • Symptoms of vascular toxicity can be mistaken for cancer-related complications or occur independently.
  • Cancer itself can induce a hypercoagulable state, complicating the diagnosis of treatment-related vascular events.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and highlight the spectrum of vascular syndromes associated with antineoplastic agents.
  • To emphasize the importance of recognizing chemotherapy-induced vascular toxicity.
  • To underscore the potential for minimizing patient morbidity and mortality through timely identification.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of reported vascular syndromes linked to antineoplastic therapies.
  • Analysis of the range of vascular phenomena, from phlebitis to microangiopathy.
  • Synthesis of information on the attribution of vascular events to malignancy versus treatment.

Main Results:

  • Various antineoplastic therapies are associated with a range of vascular complications.
  • These complications span from superficial phlebitis to severe, life-threatening microangiopathy.
  • Vascular events are frequently under-recognized or misattributed.

Conclusions:

  • Awareness and recognition of chemotherapy-induced vascular toxicity are critical.
  • Prompt identification can lead to better management of adverse events.
  • Minimizing morbidity and preventing deaths associated with these vascular syndromes is achievable through vigilance.

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