[Cardiovascular complications of chemotherapy]

In the last decades, oncological therapy has changed the natural history of many types of cancer, which can now be considered curable or as chronic or slowly progressive diseases. It is well known that chemotherapy and radiotherapy may induce cardiotoxicity. Anthracyclines are among the most active antineoplastic agents, and their cardiac effects have been known for a long time. In addition, there is an emerging role for potential cardiovascular effects of other chemotherapy drugs such as taxanes, antimetabolites (capecitabine) as well as targeted agents (monoclonal antibody trastuzumab and bevacizumab and the tyrosin-kinase inhibitor sunitinib). Patient treated with chemotherapy are at higher risk of cardiovascular events than the general population, so that having undergone chemotherapy may be considered as a novel cardiovascular risk factor. This review briefly summarizes the most important cardiovascular toxicities caused by antineoplastic pharmacological treatment and how cardiologists, oncologists and general practitioners should approach cancer patients while on treatment or during follow-up to prevent or manage cardiovascular events.