Cardio-Oncology: The Role of Echocardiography in Cancer Patients

Abstract

Cardio-oncology is a rapidly emerging medical field that focusses on the improvement of the quality of life of cancer patients by preventing and treating the adverse cardiovascular complications of cancer therapy. Early recognition of cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) provides an opportunity to mitigate cardiac injury and risk of developing late cardiac events. Cardiac imaging, and in particular, transthoracic echocardiography, plays an essential role in the baseline assessment, the detection and the surveillance of CRTCD in patients during and after the cancer therapy. Although the frequency of screening for the cardiotoxicity in patients undergoing active treatments and cancer survivors remains a topic of debate and ongoing research, echocardiography continues to be the leader for continuous monitoring by imaging due to the wide availability, lack of exposure to radiation, ability to recognise the effects on cardiac function and assess haemodynamics and other cardiac structures. The cardiac imaging applied to cardio-oncology includes standard and advanced (speckle tracking and three-dimensional (3D)) echocardiography.