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Updated: Jun 29, 2025

Voluntary Breath-hold Technique for Reducing Heart Dose in Left Breast Radiotherapy
Published on: July 3, 2014
Heart failure related to contemporary breast cancer treatment
1Megan Durkin and Neisha DeJesus practice in cardio-oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, N.Y. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
Abstract:
This article addresses cardiotoxicity in patients with breast cancer who are treated with anthracyclines and/or anti-human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) therapy, namely doxorubicin and trastuzumab. Development of concise clinical guidelines for chemotherapy-induced heart failure is ongoing. Through identification of specific risk factors and clinical predictors of cardiotoxicity, clinicians are able to better understand and define effective monitoring strategies and optimize patient care. Close cardiac monitoring is recommended for patients throughout treatment with anthracyclines and anti-HER2 therapy. Pretreatment risk assessment with echocardiography and evaluation of cardiovascular risk factors aid in predicting the development of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Further clinical trials are needed to increase understanding and optimize treatment guidelines for LV dysfunction in patients taking anthracyclines or anti-HER2 therapy.
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