Clinical roles of vascular function assessment in cancer care

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and cancer often share risk factors and influence each other's pathological features. In addition to the unfavorable effects of cancer on the cardiovascular system, the adverse effects of cancer therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiation, have also been determined. In particular, vascular toxic effects associated with cancer therapy (vasospasm, thrombosis formation, and promotion of arteriosclerosis), which are the second most common complications after myocardial adverse effects, are usually managed after the onset of vascular diseases, because screening and predictive methods are yet to be fully established. However, the onset of these vascular complications has a major influence on the implementation of cancer therapy, resulting in worsening of the quality of cancer care and prognosis of patients with cancer. It is therefore necessary to establish clinical strategies for detecting the vascular adverse effects of cancer therapy and evaluating vascular function during cancer care. In this article, we discuss the expected role of vascular function assessment using physiological testing tools for early detection of vascular adverse effects caused by cancer therapy and also preemptive assessment of vascular function prior to this treatment being initiated.