Abstract

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) have emerged as an important new class agents of the treatment of diverse tumors. Cardiotoxicity is one of the most common adverse effect of TKI. A careful initial evaluation before starting potentially cardiotoxic cancer treatment and optimal control of pre-existing cardiovascular risk factors, followed by ongoing cardiac safety monitoring, treatment of early signs of cardiovascular toxicity and timely implementation of preventive or therapeutic measures is essential task in treatment of cancer patients. It is important to identify TKI induced cardiotoxicity and start treatment as early as possible because timely undiagnosed disease can lead to unsuccessful treatment of cancer, increased mortality and the deterioration of the quality of life. This review provides an overview of the latest scientific data on the TKI induced cardiovascular diseases mechanisms, epidemiology, clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment recommendations.

Key words: cancer, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, cardiotoxicity, complications