Heart failure in long-term survivors of childhood cancer-- A systematic
review and meta-analysis of population-based studies
Abstract
Heart failure (HF) is a common severe non-malignant complication in
childhood cancer survivors (CCS). We performed a systematic review to
identify, critically appraise and synthesize population-based studies
reporting on the incidence and/or prevalence of HF in 5-year CCS (age
<18 years). A comprehensive literature search was carried out
until March 14 th, 2023, yielding 3883 records, of
which four were found eligible. Screening, data extraction, and quality
assessment were conducted independently by two reviewers. A
meta-analysis of three similar studies found a cumulative incidence of
0.99% (95% CI 0.57–1.42) over 5.0-72.5 years (I-squared=94.4%,
p<0.001). Existing population-based studies reporting on HF in
5-year CCS are few and heterogeneous. Further studies are required to
enable the development of effective surveillance strategies.