IMR Press / RCM / Volume 24 / Issue 5 / DOI: 10.31083/j.rcm2405148
Open Access Review
Anthracyclines-Induced Cardiac Dysfunction: What Every Clinician Should Know
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1 Clinical and Molecular Medicine Department, Sapienza University of Rome, 00198 Rome, Italy
2 IRCCS San Raffaele, 00163 Rome, Italy
*Correspondence: allegra.battistoni@uniroma1.it (Allegra Battistoni)
These authors contributed equally.
Rev. Cardiovasc. Med. 2023, 24(5), 148; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.rcm2405148
Submitted: 19 November 2022 | Revised: 12 January 2023 | Accepted: 29 January 2023 | Published: 18 May 2023
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction)
Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Chemotherapies have changed the prognosis of patients affected by cancer over the last 20 years, with a significant increase in survival rates. However, they can cause serious adverse effects that may limit their use. In particular, anthracyclines, widely used to treat both hematologic cancers and solid cancers, may cause cardiac toxicity, leading to the development of heart failure in some cases. This review aims to explore current evidence with regards to anthracyclines’ cardiotoxicity, with particular focus on the classifications and underlying molecular mechanisms, in order to provide an overview on the current methods of its diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. An attentive approach and a prompt management of patients undergoing treatment with anthracyclines is imperative to avoid preventable antineoplastic drug discontinuation and is conducive to improving both short-term and long-term cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

Keywords
anthracyclines-induced cardiotoxicity
drug-induced heart failure
anthracyclines
cardio-oncology
chemotherapy
cardiotoxicity
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