Cardiac Complications After Radical Radiotherapy

Improvements in cancer therapy have led to increasing numbers of cancer survivors, and the long-term complications of these treatments are now becoming apparent. This article presents the current knowledge of adverse cardiovascular effects of radiotherapy to the chest. Medline literature searches relating to the cardiac complications of radiotherapy and subsequent prognosis were conducted. Potential adverse effects of mediastinal irradiation are numerous and can include coronary artery disease, pericarditis, cardiomyopathy, and valvular disease. Damage seems to be related to radiation dose, volume of irradiated heart, age at exposure, technique of chest irradiation, and patient-specific factors. The advent of technology and the newer sophisticated techniques in treatment planning and delivery are expected to decrease the incidence of cardiovascular diseases after radiation of the mediastinal structures. In any case, patients subjected to irradiation of the mediastinal structures require close multidisciplinary clinical monitoring.