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Caught in the crossfire: cardiac complications of cancer therapy
Giulia Guerra, Marco Mergiotti, Hossein Ardehali, Emilio Hirsch, Alessandra Ghigo
Giulia Guerra, Marco Mergiotti, Hossein Ardehali, Emilio Hirsch, Alessandra Ghigo
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Review

Caught in the crossfire: cardiac complications of cancer therapy

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Abstract

Advances in cancer therapy have greatly extended patient survival but have also introduced a growing burden of cardiovascular toxicity that threatens long-term outcomes. These toxicities encompass a broad and often unpredictable range of clinical presentations, complicating oncologic care. Understanding how chemotherapy, targeted agents, and immune modulators impair cardiovascular function is essential for early detection, prevention, and management. Emerging insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms, ranging from immune activation to transcriptional reprogramming and disrupted intercellular communication, underscore the complexity of cancer therapy–induced cardiac injury. Unraveling these mechanisms will be key to developing personalized, mechanism-based strategies that preserve cardiac function without compromising anticancer efficacy. As survivorship continues to improve, mitigating cardiotoxicity remains a critical priority for preserving both the quality and duration of life of patients.

Authors

Giulia Guerra, Marco Mergiotti, Hossein Ardehali, Emilio Hirsch, Alessandra Ghigo

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Figure 3

Cancer therapies initiate a vicious cycle of cardiac damage.

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Cancer therapies initiate a vicious cycle of cardiac damage.
Different c...
Different classes of anticancer treatments, including anthracyclines, other chemotherapies, small-molecule inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, and immune checkpoint inhibitors, converge to initiate interconnected mechanisms that drive cardiotoxicity. Early oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction disturb metabolic homeostasis and calcium handling, leading to redox-sensitive ion channel changes and electrophysiological abnormalities such as QT prolongation and arrhythmias. Persistent injury promotes endothelial dysfunction, with loss of nitric oxide signaling, vascular inflammation, and microvascular rarefaction. These processes enhance immune activation and cytokine release, ultimately resulting in cardiomyocyte loss, fibrotic remodeling, and progressive contractile failure. Each step in the cascade may be differentially engaged by specific therapy classes (entry arrows), yet together they form a shared pathogenic framework. The diagram also conveys a temporal gradient in which upstream events (steps i–iv) are potentially reversible, while chronic structural remodeling (step v) becomes increasingly irreversible.

Copyright © 2026 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)

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