Progress in the Use of Echocardiography in Patients with Tumors

Abstract

Advances in cancer treatment have increased patient survival rates, shifting clinical focus towards minimizing treatment-related morbidity, including cardiovascular issues. Since echocardiography allows for a comprehensive non-invasive assessment at all cancer stages, it is well suited to monitor cardiovascular disease secondary to oncology treatment. This has earned it significant attention in the study of cardiac tumors and treatment-induced cardiac alterations. Ultrasound methods—ranging from transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography to ultrasound diagnostic techniques including myocardial strain imaging, myocardial work indices, three-dimensional cardiac imaging—offer a holistic view of both the tumor and its treatment impact cardiac function. Stress echocardiography, myocardial contrast echocardiography, and myocardial acoustic angiography further augment this capability. Together, these echocardiographic techniques provide clinicians with early detection opportunities for cardiac damage, enabling timely interventions. As such, echocardiography continues to be instrumental in monitoring and managing the cardiovascular health of oncology patients, complementing efforts to optimize their overall treatment and survival outcomes.

Keywords

• echocardiography
• tumor patient
• cardiovascular disease
• cardiac structure and function