With the field of cardio-oncology continuing to grow, the need for multi-disciplinary discussions around how best to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease in patients undergoing cancer treatment, as well in cancer survivors, is increasingly important. In an effort to facilitate such discussion, the ACC's recent Cardiovascular Function and Cancer Treatment Roundtable brought together a diverse group of stakeholders to identify challenges and opportunities to improve cardio-oncology care.

"The goal of this roundtable [was] to truly present the many different perspectives that we're all facing: the clinician perspective, the regulatory perspective of cardiovascular safety, the public health perspective, and most importantly, the patient perspective," said Ana Barac, MD, PhD, FACC, chair of the ACC's Cardio-Oncology Section and chair of the Roundtable. 

Roundtable participants heard from experts and discussed topics ranging from left ventricular dysfunction related to cancer treatment to how to ensure robust data collection in clinical trials. They also engaged in discussion on the unique needs of cancer survivors, as well as how to identify heart failure risk(s) to guide prevention and treatment. "While the incidence of cancer is going up, the mortality of cancer is going down so patients are living longer and we must ensure they are living the best possible life, in terms of their health," said Lori Minasian, MD.

Vascular concerns related to cancer treatment, including the use of novel anticoagulants in treating venous thrombosis in cancer patients and the vascular risks in patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, were also addressed. "Cancer therapy associated with vascular complications, including thrombosis and hypertension are becoming increasingly common," said Gregory Piazza, MD, MS, FACC. "Ongoing knowledge gaps stand in the way of risk prediction for these complications and pathways for treatment and prevention."

Coming out of the Roundtable, participants noted the importance of harmonizing existing guidelines from multiple stakeholders to ensure consistency across core recommendations. Outcomes from the meeting will be used to identify additional opportunities for multi-stakeholder synergy and cross-collaboration.

The Cardiovascular Function and Cancer Treatment Roundtable was part of the ACC's Heart House Roundtable Series. It was supported by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Pfizer Inc., and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Keywords: Cardiovascular Diseases, Public Health, Risk Factors, Thrombosis, Heart Failure, Cardiovascular Agents, Hypertension, Patient Care, Cardiotoxicity

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