Cardiovascular toxicity is an important adverse effect of several classes of oncology drugs. Because cancer survivors are living longer, the late effects of cancer therapy must be addressed. Many patients diagnosed with cancer are already at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease before drug treatment. Select chemotherapy agents further complicate the issue because of their own ability to induce cardiovascular toxicities or exacerbate preexisting conditions. Hypertension, dyslipidemia, heart failure, and arrhythmia are known consequences of some cancer therapies. This review provides an overview of the epidemiology, mechanism of action, monitoring, and management of these cardiovascular effects.
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