Summary
Thoracic radiotherapy is frequently applied for the treatment of mediastinal tumors, lymphomas, thymoma,
and lung cancers. The incidence of complications following antineoplastic therapies is associated
with the incidence of cancers and the rate of prolongation of survival. Cardiotoxicity is one of the most
critical complications and may occur during treatment or after years over the treatment period. Clinical
pictures progressing into heart failure may occur. Radiation therapy to the thoracic region as well can be
cardiotoxic. Major factors that increase the risk of cardiotoxicity in radiotherapy procedures include radiotherapy
dose, anatomic regions it is applied to and accordingly the dose affecting the heart. Although
cardiac adverse events during radiotherapy have been tried to be reduced by use of modern techniques
for cardiac protection such as dividing the total dose among regions, reducing fractional doses, and
applying apical or subcarinal block, cardiac risk increases during radiotherapy applied at a total dose of
>30 Gy, concurrent or sequential application of radiotherapy and anthracyclines enhances the risk of
cardiotoxicity. Late cardiotoxic effects should be kept in mind because early management of these effects
may substantially prolong patient survival.
