Cancer journal: Cancer survivors have increased risk of stroke and heart attack, study suggests

Researchers from Monash University (Australia) have found that previously having cancer and undergoing chemotherapy increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. The results of the respective study were published in the journal Cancer.

To estimate the incidence of heart disease in cancer survivors, the researchers analyzed the medical records of Americans and Australians aged 70 and older with a history of cancer. Of the 15,454 participants, 1,392 developed cancer over an average of 4.6 years.

Cardiovascular pathologies were later twice as common among people with cancer than among people without cancer: 20.8 cases versus 10.3 cases per thousand person-years. The risk persisted even after controlling for traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, family history, obesity, and hypertension.

Patients with metastatic cancer, blood cancer, and lung cancer are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease. They are also more likely to be hospitalized for heart failure.

Researchers have found also that chemotherapy doubles the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. The effect of other treatments—hormonal therapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy—on the development of cardiovascular disease has not been established, although thoracic radiation is known to increase this risk.

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