Editorial: Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease: The Complex Labyrinth

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 As our population ages, there has been an increase in the prevalence of cancer and heart disease [1]. Modern treatment strategies have led to improvement in the chances of surviving a diagnosis of cancer; however, these treatments can come at a cost [2]. Cardiotoxicity, a relatively new term in the medical literature, refers to the impact of cancer therapies on the heart and cardiovascular system [3, 4]. Cohort studies in pediatric cancer survivors have shown that cardiotoxicity is the second leading cause (after cancer recurrence) of morbidity and mortality in cancer survivors [5]. The potential negative impact of cancer drugs on the heart, however, is not new. In fact, we have known for years that cancer drugs, such as the anthracyclines, can cause severe and permanent heart damage including heart failure (HF). So why is there growing interest now?....