Does taking targeted drugs for liver cancer affect the heart?

Liver cancer patients taking targeted drugs such as Sorafenib can produce some cardiotoxicity and need to be taken under doctor’s guidance. Primary liver cancer is one of the common digestive system tumors with the highest mortality rate in China. Early symptoms of liver cancer are not obvious, while middle and late stage liver cancer manifests as epigastric distension and discomfort, abdominal distension, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, fever, jaundice, lower limb edema, lethargy and fatigue. Patients with advanced liver cancer lose the chance of surgery, and the treatment is based on targeted therapy, systemic chemotherapy, with local palliative treatment, with targeted therapy as the preferred systemic treatment. Its targeted therapy drugs include donafenib, lenvatinib, sorafenib and so on. Side effects of targeted therapy mainly include: skin reaction of hands and feet, hypertension, proteinuria, liver function abnormality, diarrhea, bleeding, QT interval prolongation. Sorafenib can damage cardiomyocytes, leading to ischemic heart disease and other cardiotoxicity; lenvatinib can lead to cardiac dysfunction, such as congestive heart failure, cardiogenic shock and cardiopulmonary failure. It is recommended to go to a regular hospital to evaluate the condition, follow the doctor’s instructions to cooperate with the treatment, and choose the appropriate program to avoid delaying the condition. Drug treatment should be carried out in accordance with medical advice, do not self-medication.