Key result
Mediastinal irradiation linked to a ~10% prevalence of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy.
Why the study?
Radiation-induced heart disease is increasingly encountered and clinically challenging, but remains poorly understood despite radiation therapy being used in 20-55% of cancer patients.
Radiation-induced heart disease is a delayed and clinically challenging complication of radiation therapy, necessitating early detection and understanding of its pathophysiology.
Clinicians should screen long-term cancer survivors for delayed RIHD; leaves open optimal protocols and biomarkers pending prospective studies.
In recent years, cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons are increasingly encountering radiation-induced heart disease (RIHD) in their practice. This complication is described in literature but is poorly understood and clinically challenging. Radiation therapy (RT) is widely used in the treatment of many cancers. Despite the considerable risk of RT complications, it is used in 20–55% of cancer patients. Radiation-associated cardiotoxicity appears to be delayed, typically 10 to 30 years following treatment. Mediastinal irradiation significantly increases the risk of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. Recent reviews estimate the prevalence of radiation-induced cardiomyopathy at more than 10%. Therefore, it is important to understand the pathophysiology of RIHD, consider risk factors associated with radiation injury, and detect the condition early.
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Муратов et al. (2022) conducted a review in Radiation-induced heart disease (RIHD). Radiation therapy was evaluated. Mediastinal irradiation for cancer treatment increases the risk of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, with recent reviews estimating the prevalence of radiation-induced cardiomyopathy at more than 10%.
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