Acute leukemia patients treated with common therapy have increased risk for heart failure

Patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are treated with anthracyclines are at a heightened risk of heart failure -- most often within one year of exposure to the chemotherapy treatment, according to a new study. To help identify a patient's risk for heart failure following the treatment, researchers developed a risk score (0 to 21) based on clinical and echographic variables.