Cardio-Oncology
Cardio-oncology is continuous growth area since the advantages obtained from anti-tumor treatments improved the tumor pathology prognosis but, at the same time, increased the mortality and morbidity linked to the cardiovascular side effects of the therapy itself.
Complications include:
- Arrhythmias
- Heart failure
- Ischemic heart disease
- Valvulopathies
- Hypertension
- Thromboembolic diseases
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Pericardial complications
- Peripheral vascular diseases
Generally, the first step is to identify the risk of developing these complications.
The risk factors that expose the patient to the development of cardiovascular complications are:
- presence of cardiovascular disease risk factors: age > 65, systemic arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, family history of premature cardiovascular disease (<50 years), smoking, obesity, high alcohol intake, and sedentary habit
- Current myocardial disease: evidence of coronary artery disease, left ventricular dysfunction, hypertensive heart disease, valvular heart disease
- Previous cardiotoxic cancer treatment: prior anthracycline use and/or prior chest radiotherapy
Our Cardio-Oncology Team will define a personalized risk-based monitoring protocol that will use the latest medical and bioengineering technologies.
Our aims are:
- cardiotoxicity prevention
- early identification and cardiovascular complications treatment of anti-tumor therapy
- cardiovascular risk factors identification and control
- allow an optimal anticancer treatment even in patients with increased cardiological risk
Reference: European Heart Journal (2016) 37, 2768–2801