July 31, 2008Open Access
Anthracycline Cardiotoxicity: From Bench to Bedside
Key Points
- The aim is to understand the mechanisms behind anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity and identify improvements needed for safer cancer therapies.
- Review of discussions from the First International Workshop on Anthracycline Cardiotoxicity (2006)
Structured PICO
P
Population
Patients receiving anthracyclines and preclinical models of anthracycline cardiotoxicity
I
Intervention
Anthracyclines
O
Outcome
Cardiotoxicitysafety
This review provides a comprehensive overview of the preclinical mechanisms and clinical challenges of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity.
Abstract
Anthracyclines remain among the most widely prescribed and effective anticancer agents. Unfortunately, life-threatening cardiotoxicity continues to compromise their usefulness. Despite more than four decades of investigation, the pathogenic mechanisms responsible for anthracycline cardiotoxicity have not been completely elucidated. In addition, new drugs and combination therapies often exacerbate the toxicity. The First International Workshop on Anthracycline Cardiotoxicity, held in fall 2006, in Como, Italy, focused on the state-of-the-art knowledge and discussed the research needed to address the cardiotoxicity of these drugs. Here, we incorporate these discussions into the framework of a broader review of preclinical and clinical issues.