Chemo Experts, the easiest way to learn about cancer treatment+ChemoExperts Affiliate

Side Effect: Heart Attack

What is a heart attack?

A heart attack, also known as a myocardial infarction (MI), occurs when blood flow to a section of the heart muscle is blocked, resulting in the death of the affected tissue. This blockage is usually caused by a clot that forms in a coronary artery, which supplies blood to the heart muscle. An MI may be “silent” and go undetected, or it could be a catastrophic event leading to irreversible damage or death.

The blood vessel blockage may be complete or partial:

What does a heart attack look like?

Symptoms of an MI can vary in intensity and duration. Symptoms may not be the same for everyone. It is important to note that some people may experience a heart attack without ever having symptoms. Symptoms of an MI may include:

Diagnostic tests and procedures such as an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), cardiac troponins, and echocardiogram (ECHO) may be done to help your healthcare team determine the type of MI that occurred and how much of the heart muscle was damaged from the MI.

Who gets heart attacks?

Patients with cancer are at a higher risk of developing an MI due to chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and chest radiation leading to coronary artery damage. Other risk factors for developing an MI include:

How do you prevent heart attacks?

Preventing an MI in patients with cancer involves managing cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking cessation, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, and monitoring for potential cardiac side effects of cancer treatment.

How do you treat heart attacks?

Treatment for an MI in patients with cancer is similar to treatment for patients without cancer. Acute management of an MI may include:

In some cases, procedures such as coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or opening clogged coronaries arteries (percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI) may be necessary.

References

1) Mechanic OJ, Gavin M, Grossman SA. Acute Myocardial Infarction. [Updated 2023 Sep 3]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459269/

2) Ojha N, Dhamoon AS. Myocardial Infarction. [Updated 2023 Aug 8]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537076/ 

3) Bima P, Lopez-Ayala P, Koechlin L, et al. Chest pain in cancer patients: prevalence of myocardial infarction and performance of high-sensitivity cardiac troponins. J Am Coll Cardiol CardioOnc 2023;5:591-609

4) Gulati M, Levy PD, Mukherjee D, et al. 2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR guideline for the evaluation and diagnosis of chest pain: executive summary: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on clinical practice guidelines. Circulation 2021;144(22):e336-e367

Created: May 28, 2024 Updated: August 1, 2024