Contact: Katie Glenn, kglenn@acc.org,

WASHINGTON (Nov 17, 2020) -

In an International Update published in JACC: CardioOncology, medical experts from Peru offered insights into the growing field of cardio-oncology in the country.

Peru established the National Cancer Institute in 1939 and has continuously worked to improve geographic and economic access to cancer care over the subsequent decades. Although Peru has recently experienced positive economic growth, health resources remain limited. Between 2012 and 2016, cancer health facilities in Peru grew from 21 facilities in nine regions to 43 facilities in 18 regions, reflecting the growing need for diagnostic and treatment programs that address the widening health gap between rural, indigenous and low-income areas with urban, developed and high-income areas.

In 1952, Ricardo Subiría Carrillo, MD, was the first cardiologist to join the National Institute of Neoplastic Diseases (previously the National Cancer Institute); he evaluated patients with metastatic cancer to the heart. In 1973 Carrillo highlighted the significance of cardiac dysfunction developing secondary to cancer therapy. There is now increasing knowledge regarding the potential cardiovascular effects associated with certain cancer treatments. In 1992, Enrique Ruiz-Mori, MD, PhD, introduced fundamental tools to the Peruvian cardiovascular community to assess cardiac function in patients who underwent chemotherapy, which enable the first anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity diagnosis, monitoring and follow-up in Peru.

Since 2016, cardio-oncology has been actively promoted in Peru as an increasingly important medical discipline for the enhanced care of cancer patients. In 2018, the first Cardio-Oncology Manual of the South American Society of Cardiology was published. The first cardio-oncology unit was launched in Peru in February 2019, and in 2020 the first cardio-oncology rotation for cardiology residents was initiated, though it was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

The American College of Cardiology envisions a world where innovation and knowledge optimize cardiovascular care and outcomes. As the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team, the mission of the College and its 54,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC bestows credentials upon cardiovascular professionals who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College also provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research through its world-renowned JACC Journals, operates national registries to measure and improve care, and offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions. For more, visit acc.org.

The Journal of the American College of Cardiology ranks among the top cardiovascular journals in the world for its scientific impact. JACC is the flagship for a family of journals—JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions, JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging, JACC: Heart Failure, JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology, JACC: Basic to Translational Science, JACC: Case Reports and JACC: CardioOncology—that prides themselves in publishing the top peer-reviewed research on all aspects of cardiovascular disease. Learn more at JACC.org.

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