Cardiovascular imaging in cardio-oncology

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Oncology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Cancer therapies can cause significant cardiovascular complications, affecting coronary, myocardial, valvular, and rhythm functions.
• Early detection and monitoring of these cardiac issues are essential for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current literature on the role of imaging in evaluating and managing cardiovascular complications in cancer patients.
• To highlight the importance of a multimodality imaging approach in cardio-oncology.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on imaging techniques in cardio-oncology.
• Focus on transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and advanced techniques like strain analysis.
• Inclusion of nuclear imaging and other modalities for comprehensive assessment.

Main Results:

• Transthoracic echocardiography is a primary tool for assessing cardiac function during and after cancer therapy.
• Advanced echocardiography techniques can detect subclinical cardiac diseases caused by cancer treatment.
• Multimodality imaging is necessary for detailed characterization of pathophysiology and improved patient management.

Conclusions:

• Imaging plays a critical role in the diagnostic evaluation and management of cardiovascular complications from cancer therapy.
• The field of cardio-oncology imaging is rapidly expanding, requiring a comprehensive approach.
• Integrating various imaging modalities is key to optimizing patient care in cardio-oncology.