About the doctor
Dr. Benard Shehu is a cardiologist with over 17 years of experience at the Mother Teresa University Hospital Center, since 2009. Since 2015 he has been a consultant cardiologist and mentor in the Cardiology Service of the Mother Teresa University Hospital Center in Tirana. He worked for six years as an emergency cardiologist, treating acute heart conditions daily.
His main research focus is cardio-oncology: protecting the heart of breast cancer patients during chemotherapy, using cardiac biomarkers and echocardiography. He is an active member of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and of its Council of Cardio-Oncology.
Areas of expertise
- Arterial hypertension
- Atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias
- Heart failure
- Coronary artery disease and chest pain
- Echocardiography
- Holter ECG and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
- Cardio-oncology: monitoring the heart during cancer treatment
- Cardiovascular risk assessment
Education and experience
- 2015 – present
Consultant cardiologist and mentor
Cardiology Service, Mother Teresa University Hospital Center, Tirana
- 2009 – 2015
Emergency cardiologist
Mother Teresa University Hospital Center, Tirana
- 2005 – 2009
Cardiology residency
Faculty of Medicine, University of Tirana · resident at Mother Teresa Hospital
- 2004 – 2005
General practitioner
Central Military University Hospital, Tirana
- 1998 – 2004
Degree in General Medicine
Faculty of Medicine, University of Tirana
Memberships and involvement
- European Society of Cardiology (ESC) – active professional member
- ESC Council of Cardio-Oncology – active member
- Co-author of national emergency guidelines (Ministry of Health, 2010)
Scientific research
Some recent publications and presentations:
- Added value of serial troponin I and NT-proBNP for early detection of cardiotoxicity in breast cancer: a three-year retrospective cohort studyQatar Medical Journal, 2026
- Serial cardiac biomarkers improve prediction of chemotherapy-related cardiotoxicity in breast cancer: a real-world cohort studyActa Medica Bulgarica, accepted for publication 2026
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of pharmacologic cardioprotection in breast cancer therapyInt. J. of Innovative Technology and Interdisciplinary Sciences, 2026
- Predictors of chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity in breast cancer: a real-world cohort studyInt. J. of Innovative Technology and Interdisciplinary Sciences, 2025
- Clinical phenotypes of cardiotoxicity in breast cancer patients undergoing contemporary oncologic therapyPoster, ESC Cardio-Oncology 2026
Languages: Albanian, English, Italian
