Advanced Heart Failure Due to Cancer Therapy

Temporal trends, ethnic determinants, and short-term and long-term risk of cardiac death in cancer patients: a cohort study

BACKGROUND

We evaluated the risk of cardiac death in patients with prior cancer diagnoses and compared risk by cancer type and ethnicity in a large US population.

METHOD

Utilizing the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, data on patients with a cancer diagnosis between 2000 and 2014 were obtained. We calculated the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of cardiac death after a cancer diagnosis and the excess risk per 10,000 person-years. We stratified the analysis according to the time interval between cancer and cardiac events, cancer site, cancer stage, and race.

RESULTS

A total of 4,671,989 patients with a cancer diagnosis were included, of which 163,255 died due to cardiac causes within 10 years of diagnosis. We found a significantly higher rate of cardiac death for cancer patients [SMR=1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15-1.16] compared to the general population. When observed for each cancer site, the highest SMR was after a diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (SMR=2.58, 95% CI 2.45-2.72), pancreatic cancer (SMR=2.36, 95% CI 2.25-2.47), and lung cancer (SMR=2.30, 95% CI 2.27-2.34). Patients with metastatic disease had a higher rate of cardiac death (SMR=2.16, 95% CI 2.13-2.19). When stratified by ethnicity, SMR for cardiac death was 1.76, 2.28, 3.68, 2.65, and 1.84 for whites, blacks, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asians/Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Cancer patients are more vulnerable to cardiac death than the general population, especially those with nonwhite ethnicity; liver, lung, and pancreatic cancers; and history of metastasis. Healthcare providers should be aware of this risk and pay particular attention to the highest-risk groups.

Cardio-Oncology Fellowship Training and Education

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

With the rapid development of novel cancer therapeutics and the growing number of cancer survivors, there is significant demand for cardio-oncology experts to care for these patients. As such, it has become increasingly necessary to develop formalized training in the field of cardio-oncology. This review will focus on the current state of cardio-oncology education, with recommendations for the development of dedicated cardio-oncology fellowships.

RECENT FINDINGS

Cardio-oncology fellowships should be affiliated with high-volume centers that have established cardio-oncology clinical and research programs with dedicated cardio-oncology faculty. Several recent publications have proposed recommendations to develop uniform cardio-oncology training standards, core curricula, and evaluation metrics. With the rapid evolution of the field and the support of various profession organizations, the number and quality of dedicated cardio-oncology fellowship programs is expected to increase significantly. The adoption of defined training requirements and evaluation standards to measure competency will be essential to ensure the legitimacy and success of the field.

Advanced Heart Failure Therapies for Cancer Therapeutics-Related Cardiac Dysfunction

End-stage heart failure in cancer survivors may result from cardiotoxic chemotherapy and/or chest radiation and require advanced therapies, including left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) and transplantation. Traditionally, such therapies have been underutilized in cancer survivors owing to lack of experience and perceived risk of cancer recurrence. Recent data from large registries, however, have shown excellent outcomes of LVADs and transplantation in cancer survivors, albeit subject to careful selection and special considerations. This article summarizes all aspects of advanced heart failure therapies in patients with cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction and underscores the need for careful selection of these candidates.

Restrictive cardiomyopathy : Delayed occurrence after radiotherapy of breast cancer

A 74-year-old female patient was referred to our department in 2015 with dyspnea, cough and dysphagia. She had been diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the right breast in 1986 and underwent mastectomy. When she presented with a local recurrence in 1988, she was receiving high-voltage radiation therapy. Transthoracic echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed tricuspid regurgitation grade III and unclear right heart failure with a massively dilated right atrium. Coronary heart disease could be ruled out. In summary, the patient's findings represented right ventricular myocardial restriction which we attributed to irradiation of the right anterior chest 17 years previously.

Role of Ranolazine in cardiovascular disease and diabetes: Exploring beyond angina

Ranolazine was FDA approved for chronic angina in 2006. Since then, there has been extensive research involving this drug. The mechanism of action, debatable at the time of approval, has been demonstrated. Ranolazine acts via inhibition of late sodium channel current in the myocardium. This acts by lowering abnormally high cytosolic calcium levels. Other possible clinical applications of Ranolazine have also been explored. Out of many lines of investigation, its effects in atrial fibrillation, especially post-CABG and recurrent atrial fibrillation show promise. It has also shown definite HbA1c lowering effects when used in diabetics with coronary artery disease. Other possible indications for the drug include pulmonary arterial hypertension, diastolic dysfunction and chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity. This review aims to summarize major research regarding Ranolazine in potential applications beyond chronic angina. There are few dedicated large, randomized, phase III trials exploring the newer effects of Ranolazine. There are a few such trials underway, but more are needed.

Orthotopic Heart Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support in Cancer Survivors: Challenges and Outcomes

Chemotherapy-induced cardiomyopathy (CCMP) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Compared to cardiomyopathy due to other causes, anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy is associated with a worse survival. As cancer survival improves, patients with CCMP can be expected to comprise a significant proportion of patients who may require advanced therapies such as inotropic support, cardiac transplantation, or left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Distinct outcomes related to advanced therapies for end-stage heart failure in this patient population may arise due to unique demographic characteristics and comorbidities. We review recent literature regarding the characteristics of patients who have survived cancer undergoing orthotopic heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support for end-stage heart failure. The challenges and outcomes of advanced therapies for heart failure related specifically to anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy are emphasized.