Mayo Clinic Talks Heart Health Series | Cardiotoxicity of Cancer Therapies
Feb 24, 2026
Balaji Tamarappoo, cardiologist and cardio-oncology expert, outlines how cancer treatments can harm the heart. He highlights which therapies carry highest cardiac risk. He reviews baseline testing and surveillance strategies. He describes clinical signs that demand urgent evaluation. He stresses teamwork between primary care, oncology, and cardiology and the role of prevention in survivorship.
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Radiation Causes Delayed Structural Heart Disease
- Radiation can cause long-term structural and vascular heart damage.
- Older wide-field chest radiation led to valve calcification and myocardial thickening; modern techniques reduce but don't eliminate coronary calcification risk.
Recognize Heart Failure Signs During Cancer Therapy
- Watch for heart failure symptoms in patients receiving cardiotoxic therapy.
- Look for lower extremity edema, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, and exertional shortness of breath as common presentations.
Drug Specific Cardiac Profiles Matter
- Certain agents have characteristic cardiac toxicities beyond heart failure.
- Ibrutinib links to atrial fibrillation; TKIs cause hypertension; immune checkpoint inhibitors can produce pericardial effusion and myocardial inflammation.