Why the study?
Shared risk factors, direct cancer effects, and expanding cancer therapies—including modern agents like immune checkpoint inhibitors—have increased recognition of short- and long-term cardiovascular complications in cancer patients and survivors.
Design
Review
Supports integrated cardio-oncology care for survivors; leaves open prospective validation of risk management strategies.
Cardio-oncology is a growing field, due to several factors. These include the recognition that similar risk factors predispose people to both cardiovascular disease and cancer. In addition, certain cancers affect the heart, and cancer treatments can have short-term and long-lasting deleterious effects on the cardiovascular system. More than 40 years ago, it became evident that anthracyclines and radiation cause heart damage, and since then the list of cancer treatments that can harm the cardiovascular system has grown to include more modern treatments, such as anti-HER2 agents and angiogenesis inhibitors. Most recently, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been added to the list of cancer treatments that cause cardiovascular damage. ICI-associated myocarditis is a relatively rare but fatal complication that develops rapidly after initiating immunotherapy. Oncologists should be aware of the potential cardiovascular complications of cancer treatments, and should assess the cardiovascular health of all patients about to undergo therapy. Cancer survivors should be assessed and advised about prevention and treatment that may be needed to address cardiovascular disease.
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Javid J. Moslehi (2020) studied this question.
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