LAUSR

Purpose of reviewThis article reviews the utility of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) to detect abnormalities of the cardiovascular system that may result from cancer or its treatment.Recent findingsWith CMR, one may assess cardiac anatomy, function, myocardial perfusion, tissue composition, and blood flow. For those with cancer, these capabilities allow one to differentiate myocardial masses that may relate to the presence of cancer and evaluate diseases of the pericardium. These features facilitate measurement of left ventricular (LV) volumes, ejection fraction, mass, strain, T1 and T2 relaxation properties, and the extracellular volume fraction all of which may be useful for detecting subclinical cardiovascular injury that results from the receipt of potentially cardiotoxic cancer treatment.SummaryCMR can provide an effective and efficient means to identify clinical abnormalities resulting from the diagnosis of cancer or subclinical cardiac injury that may be related to receipt of the therapy for cancer.