Cancer therapy-induced cardiotoxicity (CTIC) is a serious and increasingly recognized cause of death and disability among cancer survivors. It frequently necessitates the withdrawal or dose reduction of effective anticancer drugs, limiting therapeutic options and affecting patient outcomes. While CTIC poses a major health risk, the precise cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for this toxicity remain elusive, which complicates the development of preventive and therapeutic strategies. In recent years, natural products derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) have gained attention as potentially beneficial agents for CTIC management. These TCM natural products consist of biologically active compounds that often act on multiple therapeutic targets, offering a comprehensive approach to mitigating cardiotoxicity during cancer treatment. This review aims to provide a concise overview of CTIC associated with various anticancer drugs and examine the emerging research on TCM natural products in reducing the cardiotoxic effects related to cancer therapies, highlighting areas where further investigation is needed. In addition, we also provide the challenges and coping strategies faced by basic research and clinical transformation of Chinese medicine monomers.
Keywords: cancer therapy-induced cardiotoxicity; cardio-oncology; natural products; therapeutic agents; traditional chinese medicine.
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