Cardiotoxic effects induced by the use of antimetabolites in the chemotherapy of oncological diseases

Abstract

In modern medical practice, the treatment of cancer is one of the most pressing issues. Many of the drugs used in the treatment of cancer have a toxic effect on the cardiovascular system of patients. The main clinical manifestations of cardiotoxicity are ischemic heart damage, rhythm disturbances, thrombosis, angina, asymptomatic changes in the electrocardiogram, and others. Side effects can develop both during the treatment period and months after the end of the course of chemotherapy. This is especially important for patients with concomitant cardiac or vascular pathology, since the severity of developing side effects can lead to disability or death of cancer survivors. The article discusses the data on the frequency of detection of the negative effect of pyrimidine, purine and folic acid antagonists on the cardiovascular system of cancer patients, the mechanisms of cardiotoxic effects of drugs in such patients, the possibilities of preventing heart damage and correcting for already developed lesions. The aim of this work is to collect, compare and systematize the available disparate data on the cardiotoxic effects of antitumor drugs of the antimetabolite group. An important condition for saving and preserving the quality of life of cancer patients is the identification of cardiovascular pathologies at the stage of preparation for chemotherapy, which can be facilitated by the active cooperation of oncologists and cardiologists. The search for information was carried out on the bases of scientific medical publications (eLibrary.ru, PubMed) taking into account the clinical recommendations for the treatment of malignant neoplasms.

Keywords

• cardiotoxicity
• antimetabolites
• folic acid antagonists
• pyrimidine antagonists
• purine antagonists
• 5-fluorouracil
• methotrexate
• cardiac side effects
• chemotherapy
• treatment of cancer