Cardiac Toxicity in Breast Cancer Survivors: Review of Potential Cardiac Problems

As breast cancer survival is increased by the diagnosis of earlier-stage disease and treatments improve, the side effects of cancer treatments, such as cardiotoxicity, remain clinically important. Although physicians have known for 30 years that anthracyclines cause acute and chronic cardiotoxicity, the cardiotoxic effects of radiation therapy, hormonal therapy (including tamoxifen and the aromatase inhibitors), and chemotherapy with taxanes and trastuzumab treatment have emerged more recently. This review examines the cardiac toxicity of adjuvant therapy, monitoring for early changes and existing guidelines for monitoring cardiac function in patients with breast cancer.