Radiation-induced damage to cardiac substructures in breast cancer patients and the protective strategies / 肿瘤

Radiation therapy is one of the important systematic treatment strategies for breast cancer, but it also can cause a definite cardiac toxicity. Thus, the survival advantage of breast cancer patients receiving radiation therapy can even be offset by radiation-induced cardiac toxicity. Modern radiation therapy techniques have significantly decreased the incidence of RRHDs (radiation-related heart diseases). However, RRHDs have not been eliminated yet. This article introduces the pathology and pathophysiology and clinical sequelae of radiation-induced cardiac substructures toxicity, as well as synthetical protective strategies for cardiac substructures in the setting of modern radiation therapy techniques. Copyright © 2013 by TUMOR.