Cardio-oncology services may improve care for cardiovascular complications

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

According to a nationwide survey published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers have found that many hospital training programs do not conduct formal training or services in cardio-oncology despite the impact of cancer therapy on cardiovascular health.

For the study, researchers surveyed 106 cardiovascular division chiefs and cardiovascular fellowship program training directors in order to assess the opinions and practices of cardio-oncology services.

Results showed that more than 70% of respondents believed cardiovascular implications of cancer therapies to be an important consideration in the care of patients.

About 65% of respondents felt access to specially trained consultants would improve care for patients with cancer experiencing cardiovascular complications.

Researchers found that 16% of centers surveyed had only one cardiologist with expertise in treating patients with cancer and only 27% had an established cardio-oncology service with numerous experienced clinicians.

The findings suggest that more funding and training are needed to create cardio-oncology programs in order to improve care for patients with cancer experiencing cardiovascular complications of cancer treatments.