Breast Cancer Therapies and Cardiomyopathy

The prevalence of chemotherapy-related cardiac disease is increasing because of patient survivorship and the development of novel chemotherapies that may be cardiotoxic. Management requires a multidisciplinary approach from cardiologists and oncologists. Pretreatment identification of predisposing risk factors and assessment of cardiac function before and at intervals during and after therapy with cardiotoxic agents are necessary. In clinical practice, surveillance is largely performed using transthoracic echocardiography or multi-gated radionuclide angiography. Imaging strategies that detect cardiac injury before overt left ventricular systolic dysfunction provide an opportunity for early intervention and improved cardiac outcomes.