Renin–angiotensin system inhibitors to mitigate cancer treatment–related adverse events

Abstract

Treatment-related side effects are a major clinical problem in cancer treatment. They lead to reduced compliance to therapy as well as increased morbidity and mortality. Well-known are the sequelae of chemotherapy on the heart, especially in childhood cancer survivors. Therefore, measures to mitigate the adverse events of cancer therapy may improve health and quality of life in patients with cancer, both in the short and long term. The renin–angiotensin system (RAS) affects all hallmarks of cancer, and blockage of the RAS is associated with an improved outcome in several cancer types. There is also increasing evidence that inhibition of the RAS might be able to alleviate or even prevent certain types of cancer treatment–related adverse effects. In this review, we summarize the potential of RAS inhibitors to mitigate cancer treatment–related adverse events, with a special emphasis on chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity, radiation injury, and arterial hypertension.