Key result
Thoracic radiotherapy associates with cardiac toxicity but lacks clear dose constraints and cardiovascular comorbidity data.
Why the study?
No consistent cardiac dose-volume constraint has been established, and there is little evidence regarding the cardiac effects of radiotherapy in lung cancer patients with cardiovascular risk factors or comorbidities.
What is the existing evidence on cardiac toxicity of thoracic radiotherapy in lung cancer patients, and what are strategies to avoid and manage it?
What is the existing evidence on cardiac toxicity of thoracic radiotherapy in lung cancer patients, and what are strategies to avoid and manage it?
This review highlights the need for consistent cardiac dose-volume constraints and better management strategies for cardiac toxicity in lung cancer patients undergoing thoracic radiotherapy.
Requires cardiac risk assessment with thoracic radiotherapy in lung cancer; leaves open standardized dose constraints and comorbidity-specific evidence.
The impact of radiotherapy on the heart has become an area of interest in recent years. Many different cardiac dose-volume constraints have been associated with cardiac toxicity and survival; however, no consistent constraint has been found. Many patients undergoing treatment for lung cancer have risk factors for cardiovascular disease or known cardiac comorbidities; however, there is little evidence on the effects of radiotherapy on the heart in these patients. We aim to provide a summary of the existing literature on cardiac toxicity of lung cancer radiotherapy, propose strategies to avoid and manage cardiac toxicity, and suggest avenues for future research.
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Banfill et al. (2020) conducted a review in Lung cancer. Thoracic radiotherapy was evaluated on Cardiac toxicity and survival. Thoracic radiotherapy for lung cancer is associated with cardiac toxicity, though consistent dose-volume constraints and evidence for patients with cardiovascular comorbidities remain lacking.
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