Traditional RT (photon beam) affects the heart via micro and macrovascular mechanisms
[5] which can lead to valvular disease
[6], pericardial disease
[7], conduction abnormalities
[8], cardiomyopathy
[9], and accelerated coronary artery disease
[10]. One of the most understood pathophysiologic mechanisms is the macrovascular damage associated with the earlier development of age-related atherosclerosis
[11]. This phenomenon is explained by endothelial damage that RT generates in the coronary arteries
[12] which, consequently, causes an inflammatory response that releases a large number of cytokines responsible for macrophage activation and deposition of lipoproteins
[13]. A similar mechanism to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques is seen in traditional coronary artery disease but in an accelerated fashion
[14]. One retrospective study, which included 2168 women who underwent RT for breast cancer, found that their risk for major coronary events was increased by 7.4%; this increment begins 5 years after receiving RT and continues for 30 years. The risk was also higher for patients who received left- vs. right-sided RT. This study also proved that the risk increases with preexisting cardiac risk factors and higher radiation doses
[10]. One systematic review, including six studies from 1996 to 2016, involved patients with low risk of CAD who received left breast/chest wall RT. Follow-up of the studies was limited to 6–12 months after RT. Four of these studies showed that cardiac exposure to radiation was associated with early myocardial perfusion defects
[15]; these were mainly seen in the apical and anterolateral segments of the left ventricle (LV) and not associated with changes in the ejection fraction
[16]. The same systematic review also proved that perfusion defects were strongly dose dependent and that patients who underwent cardiac radiation-sparing techniques, such as DIBH, had better outcomes
[15]. In another study that included 7033 patients with Hodgkin disease who received chest RT, the risk for death from myocardial infarction was double when compared to the general population and it persisted for 25 years after treatment
[17]. This risk was higher and independently associated in patients who were exposed to: (a) supradiaphragmatic total nodal RT (RR 9.0, CI 5.4–14.1), (b) mantle RT (RR 3.2, CI 2.3–4.2), (c) anthracyclines (RR 3.2, CI 1.9–5.2), and (d) vincristine (RR 2.0, CI 1.3–2.9)
[17].