Cancer therapy-related cardiovascular dysfunction and coronary microvascular dysfunction: Research progress / 第二军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

The risk of cardiovascular diseases is significantly increased in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Recent evidences suggested that cardiac dysfunction and subsequent heart failure are mainly caused by vascular toxicity rather than myocardial toxicity. However, not all of the vascular toxicity of cancer therapies can be explained by obstructive coronary artery disease. In the past few decades, it has been found that myocardial ischemia may be caused by structural or functional disorders of the complex vascular network that cannot be seen by coronary angiography, known as coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD). There is growing evidences that cancer therapy-related cardiovascular dysfunction (CTRCD) and CMD have many common pathophysiological mechanisms. This paper elucidates the relationship between CTRCD and CMD from the pathophysiological perspective, providing reference for exploring new diagnostic methods and treatment strategies of cardiovascular diseases.