Xianming Li

By Wenyong Tan, Xianming Li and Yong Dai

Approximately 25–30% of patients with cancer undergo thoracic radiation therapy (RT). RT might inadvertently induce heart injury and result in various forms of radiation-related heart disease (RRHD). The main endpoints of RRHD include cardiac death from RT, clinical heart disease (congestive heart disease, ischemic heart disease, and myocardial infarction), and subclinical heart disease (cardiac perfusion defects). Advanced RT techniques, such as breath control, intensity-modulated RT, and image-guided RT, as well as limited target volume definition might spare or avoid cardiac doses and/or volume, which may translate into decreased incidence of RRHD. The total delivered radiation dose to cardiac implantable electronic devices was strongly recommended not to exceed 2 Gy. The treatment strategies of RRHD were based on the various recommended consensus of related heart diseases in cardiology. However, the standardized definitions of the cardiac structures, dose-volume limits during radiation planning design, the optimal dose-volume parameters, and the dose-volume effects of various cardiac substructures warrant further investigation. The recognition, prediction, prevention, and management of RRHD require close collaboration between oncologists and cardiologists.

Part of the book: Radiotherapy