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Review
. 2023 Jul 27;13(8):1631.
doi: 10.3390/life13081631.

Accelerated Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Toxicity Induced by Radiotherapy in Breast Cancer

Miruna Florina Stefan  1 , Catalin Gabriel Herghelegiu  2 , Stefania Lucia Magda  1   3
Affiliations
Review

Accelerated Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Toxicity Induced by Radiotherapy in Breast Cancer

Miruna Florina Stefan et al. Life (Basel). .

Abstract

The number of patients diagnosed with breast cancer and cardiovascular disease is continuously rising. Treatment options for breast cancer have greatly evolved, but radiotherapy (RT) still has a key role in it. Despite many advances in RT techniques, cardiotoxicity is one of the most important side effects. The new cardio-oncology guidelines recommend a baseline evaluation, risk stratification and follow-up of these patients. Cardiotoxicity induced by RT can be represented by almost all forms of cardiovascular disease, with atherosclerosis being the most frequent. An interdisciplinary team should manage these patients, in order to have maximum therapeutic effect and minimum cardiovascular toxicity. This review will summarize the current incidence, risk factors, mechanisms and follow-up of RT-induced cardiovascular toxicity.

Keywords: breast cancer; cancer; cardiovascular toxicity; radiotherapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cardiovascular pathologies induced by radiation therapy for breast cancer (modified and adapted from [35]).
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