Key result
Breast cancer survivors face elevated CVD risk from cardiotoxic therapies, requiring active primary care management.
Primary care physicians play a crucial role in managing the elevated cardiovascular risk in breast cancer survivors caused by shared risk factors and cardiotoxic cancer therapies.
May warrant PCP education on BC survivorship CV care; leaves open whether this improves outcomes.
Breast cancer (BC) survivors are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and require their primary care physicians to manage their long-term general medical care, including cardiovascular (CV) health. Yet, evidence exists that some primary care physicians possess insufficient knowledge about survivorship care. With the goal of bridging these knowledge gaps, a PubMed review was conducted from July 7, 2020, through October 2, 2020, with an updated PubMed review from January 3, 2024, through April 28, 2024, focusing on CV health considerations in the primary care of BC survivors. Search terms included variations of "breast cancer survivors" and "cardiovascular." In total, 152 publications were included. Breasts cancer survivors may have increased CVD risk because some anticancer therapies are cardiotoxic and risk factors for BC often also increase the risk for CVD. Multiple risk factors overlap for BC and CVD such as older age, Western diet, early menarche, physical inactivity, high body mass index, and smoking. In this review, results are summarized from studies that report the presence of CV risk factors and CVD in BC survivors. Also described are the CV effects of BC therapies (chemotherapy, hormonal agents, targeted therapies, and radiotherapy) and the type of CV evaluation (cardiac imaging and measurement of biomarkers) that these patients may need. Primary care physicians have an important role in managing the CV health of BC survivors from preventing, assessing, and managing CV risk factors to referring patients to appropriate specialists when needed.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Kidane et al. (2024) conducted a review in Breast cancer survivors at risk for cardiovascular disease (n=152). Breast cancer therapies and overlapping cardiovascular risk factors was evaluated. Breast cancer survivors face increased cardiovascular disease risk due to overlapping risk factors and cardiotoxic therapies, requiring active cardiovascular management by primary care physicians.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: