Abstract
Purpose
Radiation-induced heart disease (RIHD) is one of the most serious complications of radiotherapy. The purpose of this paper is to review recent researches about cardiac toxicity of radiotherapy in clinical characteristics, mechanisms, diagnosis, and prevention.
Conclusions
Powered by the rapid development of medicine, the overall survival (OS) of cancer has been improved significantly. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy (RT) are three critical ways in the comprehensive treatments of cancer. There is a consensus that early diagnosis and interventions for the prevention of RIHD are crucial. This review concludes recent clinical and experimental studies on RIHD. RIHD, a heterogeneous and serious disease, is a spectrum of heart disease including myocardial disease, pericarditis, coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, and conduction system dysfunction. Mean heart dose, biomarkers, and detecting techniques are important components in detecting heart injury. Improvements in radiotherapy regimens remain the primary goal of prevention. Further investigation is needed beyond the observation period of most of these studies.
Ethical approval
Written informed consent for publication was obtained from all participants.
Author contributions
All authors have equal contribution to the design and writing of the review. All authors approved the final version of the article.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Tianhui Wei
Tianhui Wei is a Master of Radiation Oncology and a Researcher at the Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong University, Shandong, China.
Yufeng Cheng
Yufeng Cheng, PhD, is a Professor of Radiation Oncology and a Senior Researcher at the Department of Radiation Oncology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Shandong, China.