There is an increasing number of therapeutic options in breast cancer management. While prognosis improves, the cardiac toxicity related to treatments remains a significant issue. This toxicity has several clinical presentations and can be explained by complex and diverse molecular mechanisms. Systemic treatments (anthracyclines, inhibitors of HER2 signaling pathway, hormone therapy, antiangiogenic agents) and radiotherapy have their own cardiac toxicity. However, the toxicities associated with these treatments may potentiate together and the existence of pre-existing cardiovascular risk factors should be taken into account. The assessment of cardiac hazard evolves toward a multifactorial approach. Several possibilities exist to minimize the incidence of cardiac complications. Those include pharmacological and technological innovations, but also a more accurate selection of patients and a growing involvement of practitioners in the field of cardiac toxicity, which is prerequisite for an early management of cardiac events.
Keywords: anthracyclines; breast cancer; cardiac toxicity; radiotherapy; targeted agents.