Early Identification of Cardivascular Damage Induced by Chemotherapy and Antineoplastic Treatments in Pediatric Age

Cardiovascular system is among the main target organs of toxicity of some antineoplastic treatments. Pretreatment cardiotoxicity risk stratification and timing tailored to patient needs are strategies recognized in cardiology but not yet well validated in the pediatric population. Currently, follow-up of the pediatric patient diagnosed with oncologic disease involves serious cardiologic evaluation, independent of cardiovascular risk factors and focused on recognition of left ventricular systolic dysfunction. The use of new diagnostic methods to study the pediatric patient exposed to antineoplastic therapy and the personalization of follow-up on the basis of pretreatment cardiovascular risk could allow early identification of cardiotoxic damage and thus prevent its progression.