Identify CV Risk Factors in Patients With Breast Cancer

Cardiovascular disease continues to be a growing concern for breast cancer patients. With each cardiovascular risk factor, the probability of having a cardiac event increases in women.

In this video, Dawn L. Hershman, MD, head of the Breast Cancer Program at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center in New York, suggests that oncologists should take care of all patients after the diagnosis of cancer.

Here is a transcript of his remarks:

We know that women are more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than breast cancer after being diagnosed with breast cancer because many women are doing well with their diagnosis, and our treatments have been advanced up to now, but we do not know it. many women or even a lot of doctors. When women are diagnosed, they sometimes focus so much on their breast cancer that they forget that there are other elements of their care that may even be related to their breast cancer.

Sometimes the treatment itself can make them gain weight, a risk factor for breast cancer. Some treatments may increase their blood pressure, which is a risk factor, and women with a known history of diabetes or high cholesterol may not focus as much on their medications. With each cardiovascular risk factor, the probability of having a cardiac event increases in women. Knowing that they must manage these other side effects and symptoms that they may have, these other comorbidities are a very important part of their care.

We have shown in the past that some cardiac risk factors such as high blood pressure increased some of the agents that damage the heart. We also know that, when they are diagnosed, women stop adhering to their medications for other reasons, because they start seeing only their oncologist and sometimes lose control of their medication. their primary care physician. We have shown that even in women with metastases, you can see that the number of heart risk factors you have can increase your likelihood of having a cardiac event, and that's one area in which the people are very focused on their breast cancer treatment. This tells us that we really need to consider patients as their entire being. We must take care of each and every one of them when they are diagnosed with cancer.

We can sometimes pay attention to the most extreme cardiac effects – as if you were taking a decrease in your ejection fraction after taking medications like Herceptin, which are known complications, but rare complications. But we do not think too much about the blood pressure of people when they come to see us, or their glucose levels. We give many patients steroids that can increase their risk of diabetes and we do not pay enough attention to what can also increase their risk of having a cardiovascular event.