Cardio-Oncology: From Bench to Bedside

Book excerpt: Cardio-oncology is a medical subspecialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and organ failure mediated by micro- to macro-circulation defects in cancer patients and survivors. The risk of CVD in cancer survivors is eight times higher than the general population, and the relative risk of coronary artery disease and heart failure (HF) is 10 times and 15 times higher, respectively, compared to their siblings without cancer. It is important to note that cancer treatments including chemotherapy and radiation can lead to both short- (< 1 year) and long-term (> 5 years) cardiovascular complications. Previously, Dr. Edward T.H. Yeh initiated the MD Anderson Practice (MAP) project, and published 16 MAPs to provide the current best practice we considered at UT MD Anderson. As shown in these MAPs, one of the key issues of cardio-oncology practice and science is how we can allow cancer patients to receive maximum and uninterrupted treatments for cancer while protecting them from cancer therapy-mediated cardiovascular complications. Therefore, it is crucial to understand not only pathophysiology of CVD, but also mechanistic insights of how each cancer treatment can control cancer growth and metastasis. Without having the profound knowledge in the pathophysiological, clinical and epidemiologic aspects of cardiovascular complications of existing cancer therapy, it is impossible to establish the strong evidence-based strategies and approaches for both short- and long-term cardiovascular complications after cancer treatment. In addition, we believe that cardio-oncology science should not be restricted to deal with the side effects of each specific cancer drug, because many common cardiovascular phenotypes among the different cancer treatments are also observed. This Research Topic provides a comprehensive overview from both of the current research and practice, and a platform for obtaining the logical and up-to-date treatment and prevention of CVD in cancer patients and survivors.