Cardiology Letters 2019, 28(1):21-25

Managing cardiotoxicity induced by chemotherapy in centers from low income countries

Rodríguez-Ramos MA, Fardales-Rodríguez R

Unidad de Cuidados Coronarios, Departamento Cardiología, Hospital General Universitario Camilo Cienfuegos, Sancti-Spirítus, Cuba

Cardiovascular diseases and cancer account for 60% of deaths in the Western world. They have common risk factors, such as obesity and diabetes, and are often found in the same patient. It is more common in a patient with tumour disease who develops cardiovascular involvement secondary to treatment with cytostatic or radiotherapy. A protocol of in-hospital management of cardiotoxicity induced by cytostatic is proposed with the objective of providing specialized care to patients with cancer and a history of cardiovascular disease or who develop cardiac complications during cancer therapy, in centres of low-income countries. Care and follow-up criteria are established; guidelines to identify patients who are at risk of developing cardiac dysfunction, and strategies are proposed to prevent or minimize the risk before, during and after the therapy. Finally, suggestions are presented to treat specific complications: ischemia, systemic embolism, more frequent arrhythmias, pulmonary and systemic hypertension.

Keywords: cardiotoxicity; chemotherapy; cardiovascular complications

Published: January 1, 2019  Show citation