Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 2026

Carotid Artery Infusions for Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Analysis of Taxanes in Mice
08:41

Carotid Artery Infusions for Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Analysis of Taxanes in Mice

Published on: October 27, 2014

Cardiovascular effects of treatment with taxanes

Stavros Peroukides1, Alexandros Alexopoulos, Haralabos Kalofonos

  • 1Department of Medical Oncology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras, Greece. panio@upatras.gr

Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine (Hagerstown, Md.)
|April 6, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Taxanes, used in cancer treatment and cardiology, can cause cardiac complications. This review examines their cardiac toxicity and clinical implications.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cardiology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Taxanes are potent antineoplastic agents that stabilize microtubules.
  • They are increasingly utilized in interventional cardiology procedures.
  • Recent observations highlight a risk of cardiovascular complications following taxane treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the cardiac toxicity associated with taxane therapy.
  • To analyze the role of taxanes in interventional cardiology.
  • To discuss clinical practice issues related to taxane-induced cardiotoxicity.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on taxane-related cardiovascular events.
  • Analysis of clinical data regarding taxane use in oncology and cardiology.
  • Examination of current clinical guidelines and practice.

Main Results:

  • Taxanes can induce various cardiovascular complications.
  • The benefits of taxanes in cardiology must be weighed against potential cardiac risks.
  • Managing cardiotoxicity is crucial for patient outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Taxane therapy requires careful cardiac monitoring.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate mechanisms and improve management strategies.
  • Balancing oncologic/cardiac benefits with cardiotoxicity risks is essential in clinical practice.

More Related Videos

Live Imaging to Study Microtubule Dynamic Instability in Taxane-resistant Breast Cancers06:02

Live Imaging to Study Microtubule Dynamic Instability in Taxane-resistant Breast Cancers

Published on: February 20, 2017

Chemotherapy-induced Vascular Toxicity - Real-time In vivo Imaging of Vessel Impairment04:48

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

Published on: January 7, 2015

Related Concept Videos

Drugs that Stabilize Microtubules01:15

Drugs that Stabilize Microtubules

Microtubules are dynamic structures that undergo cycles of catastrophe and rescue. The microtubules play a central role in cell division by forming the spindle apparatus for segregating the chromosomes. This makes them ideal targets for regulating dividing cells in tumors and malignant cancer cells. Microtubule stabilizing drugs help stabilize the microtubule formation and promote its polymerization. Paclitaxel was the first microtubule stabilizing agent used as anticancer drug in chemotherapy...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers01:26

Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers

Receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are two critical categories of drugs employed in the treatment of pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). PAH is a disease that causes high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, resulting in chest pain, fatigue, and shortness of breath.
TKIs, such as imatinib (Gleevec), are particularly effective in tackling the growth and mitogenic factors that become upregulated in PAH patients. These factors contribute to the...
Cancer Therapies02:49

Cancer Therapies

Cancer therapies are various modes of treatment, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy that are administered to cancer patients.
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
Treatment Resistant Cancers02:56

Treatment Resistant Cancers

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. A cancer cell is genetically unstable and hence can mutate faster. They can also modify their microenvironment and escape immune surveillance. The difficulties in treating cancer are further compounded by the emergence of rapid resistance to anticancer drugs. The most common ways to attain resistance in cancer cells include alteration in drug transport and metabolism, modification of drug target, elevated DNA damage response, or...
Cardiovascular Drugs: Classification based on Therapeutic Indications01:18

Cardiovascular Drugs: Classification based on Therapeutic Indications

Cardiovascular diseases, encompassing a range of conditions, can significantly affect the heart's operations and the overall circulatory system. These conditions impair the heart's ability to pump blood, leading to a deficit in oxygen supply to crucial organs. Anomalies in the heart's electrical system, known as arrhythmias, can cause heartbeats to accelerate or slow down. Usually, heart rates increase during physical activity and decrease while resting or sleeping. However, frequent irregular...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Endothelin Receptor Antagonists01:18

Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Endothelin Receptor Antagonists

Endothelins (ETs) are potent vasoactive peptides critical in the human body's various physiological and pathological processes. One of the most promising therapeutic strategies for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) involves counteracting the effects of these endothelins using a class of drugs known as endothelin receptor antagonists.
ETs are synthesized through a complex sequence of enzymatic steps, primarily involving an enzyme referred to as endothelin-converting enzyme (ECE). Of...