At the Nexus of Cardiology and Oncology

The role of cardiovascular disease risk assessment, prevention, and management has gained significant attention in those undergoing treatment for cancer and in cancer survivors. At #AHA21, we both had the opportunity to participate in a session titled “AHA Statements in Cardio-Oncology” alongside Drs. Aarti Asnani, Michael Fradley, and Tochi Okwuosa, all three of whom are leaders in the field.

Recently published AHA statements were discussed in this session, intended to motivate basic and clinical scientists working at the intersection of cardiology and oncology. Dr. Asnani, from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, presented updates in translational models of cardiotoxicity in patients with cancer in her talk, “Pre-Clinical Models in Cardio-Oncology.” Her translational work has led to the development of zebrafish and mouse models for cardiotoxicity secondary to anthracyclines and ibrutinib. Dr. Fradley, from the University of Pennsylvania, offered important insights into mechanisms and management of arrhythmias in the context of cancer therapies in his talk titled “EP and Cardio-Oncology.” Dr. Okwuosa, from Rush University Medical Center, outlined the side effects of hormonal therapies on the heart in her presentation titled “Hormones and Hormone-Based Therapies in Oncology – Effects on the Heart.”

The role of cardiac biomarkers in the identification of at-risk patients prior to, during, and after anti-cancer therapies was discussed in “Biomarkers in Cardio-Oncology” (VZ). This talk provided a broad overview of traditional blood-based biomarkers, as well as novel strategies for multi-omics biomarker application integrating current developments in advanced imaging techniques, machine learning, wearable devices, and clinical phenotyping. Considering the challenges in clinical testing of new biomarkers, including validation studies, this discussion suggested integration of cardiovascular endpoints in oncology trials, development of multi-center registries, and more in-depth studies of biological mechanisms of cardiotoxicity.