Description: As the number of effective anti-neoplastic agents has grown, there has been a concomitant increase in side effects. Cardiotoxicity, and specifically LV dysfunction, remains the limiting factor for many such agents, and is the focus of growing research and clinical emphasis. This issue summarizes for the heart failure specialist the possible ways that chemotherapeutic agents might cause cardiotoxicity as well as the methods for detecting, treating and preventing cardiotoxicity.
Brief description: Douglas B. Sawyer is a cardiologist and clinician-investigator whose work in basic and translational research has focused on mechanisms by which the heart maintains cardiac function and recovers after injury. Formerly Chief of Cardiology at Vanderbilt University, and Chief of Cardiac Services and Physician Leader of the Cardiovascular Service Line at Maine Medical Center, USA, Dr. Sawyer has more recently served as the Chief Academic Officer for MaineHealth. He is a Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and serves as the Academic Dean for the TUSM Maine Track. His clinical interests include Cardiovascular Disease, Heart Failure, Clinical and Translational Research. Dr Sawyer is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and of the Heart Failure Society of America. He is an elected member of the Association of University Cardiologists and the American Society for Clinical Investigation.