For lung cancer patients, the benefits of treatment and potential for cure must always be balanced with risk. Cardiotoxicity is considered a short and long term risk from treatment for lung cancer, but this varies between patients. New radiotherapy techniques, lower doses of radiotherapy and supporting cardiovascular treatments can minimise the risk of cardiotoxicity. Monitoring for cardiac complications is becoming an important aspect of survivorship care, and may require collaboration between medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, GPs and cardiologists. 

Professor Shalini Vinod, Thoracic Radiation Oncologist from Liverpool Hospital Sydney and Chair of the Liverpool and MacArthur Lung Cancer MDT discusses the challenges with Dr Vicky Chin, Radiation Oncologist from the University of NSW and Dr James Otton, Cardiologist from Liverpool Hospital.