21Managing cardiotoxicity induced by chemotherapy in centersfrom low income countries

ABSTRACT

Abstract. Cardiovascular diseases and cancer account for 60% of deaths in the Western world. They havecommon risk factors, such as obesity and diabetes, and are often found in the same patient. It is morecommon in a patient with tumour disease who develops cardiovascular involvement secondary to treat-ment with cytostatic or radiotherapy. A protocol of in-hospital management of cardiotoxicity induced bycytostatic is proposed with the objective of providing specialized care to patients with cancer and a his-tory of cardiovascular disease or who develop cardiac complications during cancer therapy, in centres oflow-income countries. Care and follow-up criteria are established; guidelines to identify patients who are atrisk of developing cardiac dysfunction, and strategies are proposed to prevent or minimize the risk before,during and after the therapy. Finally, suggestions are presented to treat specific complications ischemia,systemic embolism, more frequent arrhythmias, pulmonary and systemic hypertension. Ref. 42, on-line fulltext (Free, PDF) www.cardiologyletters.sk.[AU]