Modern concepts in cardio-oncology

Cardio-oncology has emerged as best option for many patients with cardiovascular complications related to cancer and cancer therapy. Classical chemotherapy, targeted and immune therapies as wells as radiotherapy challenge the cardiovascular system at multiple levels, including increased rates of e.g., hypertension, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia, and thrombosis. The cardiologist working within the cardio-oncology team is confronted with a broad spectrum of therapies and combination protocols. Evidence from the past few years implicate that at least 30 novel cancer drugs can be expected to receive approval each year. The rate and extent of cardiovascular complications particularly for these new therapies remains to be evaluated. Overall, cardio-oncology has several important tasks to establish an optimal care for cancer patients: (I) risk assessment before therapy to prevent onset of cardiovascular disease, (II) assessment of diagnostic pathways to provide a timely diagnosis of early stages of cardiovascular complications, (III) characterize the extent of morbidity and mortality as induced by cancer therapies, (IV) establish therapeutic options to treat cardiotoxicity and (V) monitor long-term cancer survivors. In this special edition, experts in the field provide an overview about key concepts in cardio-oncology. This is complemented by general considerations about novel concepts in cardio-oncology including the establishment of fellowship programs, ethical issue and cancer survivorship programs as outlined in the present review.