Biological drugs: classic adverse effects and new clinical evidences

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Anticancer therapies have advanced significantly over the last 20 years, with targeted drugs showing improved efficacy and tolerability.
• Despite initial enthusiasm, targeted therapies are associated with emerging cardiac side effects, necessitating careful monitoring.
• Understanding and mitigating cardiotoxicity from targeted drugs is essential for patient safety and treatment continuation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current knowledge on the cardiotoxicity associated with targeted anticancer drugs.
• To highlight the importance of early detection of subtle myocardial dysfunction.
• To explore non-invasive imaging techniques for predicting and managing drug-induced cardiac issues.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on targeted anticancer drugs and their cardiac effects.
• Analysis of non-invasive imaging modalities for early cardiotoxicity detection.
• Specific evaluation of echocardiography, including advanced techniques like speckle tracking.

Main Results:

• Targeted drugs, while effective, pose a risk of cardiotoxicity.
• Early identification of myocardial dysfunction is critical for initiating timely protective interventions.
• Echocardiography, particularly speckle tracking, shows promise as a readily available and effective tool for early cardiotoxicity assessment.

Conclusions:

• Targeted anticancer therapies require vigilant cardiac monitoring due to potential cardiotoxicity.
• Non-invasive imaging, especially echocardiography with speckle tracking, is vital for the early detection of myocardial dysfunction.
• Prompt identification enables the implementation of protective therapies, improving patient outcomes in oncology.