Acta médica portuguesa
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The presence of secondary effects following the administration of chemotherapeutic drugs is an important limitation to cancer therapy. Of these, cardiotoxicity is of crucial importance due to its negative influence on survival. The anthracyclines and cyclophosphamide are the most important cardiotoxic antineoplastic agents currently used. ⋯ Other chemotherapeutic agents like cyclophosphamide are associated with the presence of myopericarditis which is sometimes fatal. The cardiotoxic effects of anticancer treatment with 5-fluorouracil, mitoxantrone, carmustine, amsacrine and interferon are less frequent and usually more benign. Finally we discuss bone marrow transplantation and its related cardiotoxicity.