Biomarkers and Cancer Therapy-Related Cardiac Dysfunction

AbstractCancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, but improvements in therapy have translated to better outcomes. Despite this, patients exposed to certain cancer therapies may develop cardiac toxicity. Among cancer survivors, cardiovascular disease is currently the second leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The spectrum of cardiac disease is broad, including asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction through cardiac failure, among other cardiovascular events. Novel imaging techniques such as speckle tracking/strain and three-dimensional echocardiogram are useful for evaluating cancer therapy-induced cardiotoxicity, but they are limited in clinical practice by local expertise and lack of widespread availability. There is no universally accepted imaging method or protocol for the identification of subclinical cardiotoxicity. The last several years have seen a growing exploration of serum cardiac biomarkers such as troponins, natruretic peptides, C-reactive protein, and others for the screening and monitoring of cancer therapy-associated cardiac dysfunction. This review examines recent literature surrounding the use of cardiac biomarkers for surveillance, diagnosis, and management of cardiac dysfunction related to cancer therapy, highlighting the limited data to support recommendations.

Source: Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports - October 17, 2016 Category: Cardiology Source Type: research