Key result
Radiation therapy links to left-sided valvular disease, with TAVR emerging as a viable surgical alternative.
Why the study?
Radiation-induced valvular heart disease is difficult to treat surgically due to high risk, but transcatheter options have emerged, prompting a review of recent post-intervention outcomes.
This review highlights the growing importance of screening for radiation-induced valvular heart disease and the emerging role of transcatheter therapies like TAVR for managing these high-surgical-risk patients.
May favor TAVR over SAVR in post-radiation aortic stenosis; leaves open need for prospective trials on long-term outcomes.
Valvular heart disease can develop as a long-term side effect of radiation therapy, along with other cardiovascular complications. The timeline until clinically significant disease can be on the order of decades, with left-sided valves most commonly affected. Only a few retrospective studies have characterized the incidence and findings associated with radiation therapy associated valvular heart disease. Furthermore, treatment can be difficult in this population given certain factors that can contribute to high surgical risk. In recent years, however, the development of transcatheter options for valvular disease has led to expanded eligibility criteria for cancer patients who may receive radiation therapy as part of their treatment course. We therefore sought to review the literature on radiation-induced valvular heart disease and provide an overview of recent studies on post-intervention outcomes in these patients.
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Lee et al. (2022) conducted a review in Radiation-induced valvular heart disease. Radiation therapy was evaluated. Radiation therapy is associated with long-term development of valvular heart disease, primarily affecting left-sided valves, and transcatheter options like TAVR have emerged as viable alternatives to surgery.
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