What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to investigate cardiovascular toxicity related to cancer therapies and its impact on survivors.

March 5, 2026Open Access

Charting the Current Landscape and Future Prospects of Cancer Therapy-Related Cardiovascular Toxicity in Cancer Survivors: From Bench to Bedside

Q: What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Review. Population: Cancer survivors experiencing cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity including cardiomyopathy, heart failure, myocarditis, arrhythmias, and vascular toxicities.

Key Result

Dexrazoxane lowered the risk of clinical heart failure and cardiac events in breast cancer patients undergoing anthracycline chemotherapy in a cohort of 2177 patients.

Key Points

The aim is to investigate cardiovascular toxicity related to cancer therapies and its impact on survivors.
Review of existing literature on cardio-oncology and cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity.
Analysis of risk stratification approaches and surveillance methods.
Discussion on future research priorities and protective strategies.
Identified acute and delayed cardiovascular toxicities in cancer survivors.
Outlined the necessity for comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessments before and during cancer treatments.
Highlighted the importance of personalized therapeutic protocols to mitigate cardiovascular risks.

PICO

Population

Cancer survivors experiencing cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity including cardiomyopathy, heart failure, myocarditis, arrhythmias, and vascular toxicities

Limitations

This is a review article and does not provide new primary clinical trial data.
Exact effect sizes and confidence intervals for the benefit of dexrazoxane and other interventions are not specified.
Heterogeneity of included studies and variability of reported outcomes limit quantification of effects.
Lack of randomized controlled trial data details in this review prevents extraction of precise clinical trial results.

Abstract

Abstract: Cardio-oncology represents an emerging interdisciplinary discipline focusing on optimizing oncologic efficacy while mitigating treatment-related cardiovascular complications. The advent of novel anticancer agents such as targeted therapies, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and endocrine therapies has transformed cancer care, significantly improving survival rates. Nevertheless, prolonged patient survivorship has unmasked clinically significant cardiovascular sequelae, termed cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity (CTR-CVT), which manifests as acute manifestations during therapy and delayed presentations persisting years post-treatment. This dual-onset toxicity profile necessitates rigorous longitudinal cardiovascular risk stratification integrating comprehensive pre-therapeutic assessment, multi-modal imaging, and biomarker-guided surveillance to detect subclinical dysfunction, prevent premature treatment cessation, and reduce cancer recurrence and mortality risks. Future research priorities include further elucidating pathophysiological mechanisms of CTR-CVT, developing cardio-protective strategies, implementing personalized therapeutic protocols, and reducing disparities in care to advance cardio-oncology and improve patient outcomes. This review synthesizes the development of CTR-CVT, existing evidence-based CTR-CVT risk surveillance approaches, and emerging innovative early-warning strategies, and the future development prospects. Keywords: cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity, cardio-oncology, cardiotoxicity, prevention, monitoring

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