Recent findings of cardiac dysfunction and anti-cancer therapy

Cardiovascular diseases and carcer have a lot of things in common. Both of those conditions are responsible for most deaths in first world countries. Moreover, considerable amount of heart dysfunction complications, result from cancer treatment. For example, common anticancer drugs like anthracyclines are cardiotoxic. Administrations of these compounds may cause cardiotoxicity type I. Trastuzumab is also a compound that is used in cancer treatment, sometimes used concurrently with anthracyclines, and this drug is associated with cardiotoxicity type II. These drugs and many others have side effects ranging from mild to severe like irreversible cardiac damage that may result in heart failure. Cyclophosphamide is a chemotherapy medication used to treat various types of cancer and also can be useful to treat autoimmunological conditions. Radiotherapy, also known as radiation therapy, is a medical treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. It is also a stressful treatment on the cardiovascular system to such degree, that the second most fatal complication after utilizing radiotherapy is heart dysfunction. Pre-existing cardiovascular disease can influence the treatment as well as the prognosis of the patient. Patients with former cardiovascular disease are associated with less treatment options, significantly higher likelihood of worse treatment outcomes and complications that often result in death.