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The Importance of Primary Care in Cardio-Oncology
Daniel A Cehic1,2, Aaron L Sverdlov3,4,5,6, Bogda Koczwara7,8
1GenesisCare Cardiology, GenesisCare, Building 1 & 11, The Mill, 41-43 Bourke Road, Alexandria, Sydney, NSW, 2015, Australia. daniel.cehic@genesiscare.com.
Insights
Primary care physicians play a crucial role in managing cardiovascular disease in cancer patients, a growing field known as cardio-oncology. Early detection and prevention are key to improving outcomes for cancer survivors.
Area of Science:
- Cardio-oncology
- Oncology
- Cardiology
- Primary Care Medicine
Background:
- Cancer and cardiovascular disease share risk factors and influence each other.
- Cardiotoxicity from cancer treatments increases cardiovascular mortality in cancer patients, a leading cause of death in survivors.
- Cardio-oncology is an expanding field focused on cardiovascular health in cancer patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the critical role of primary care physicians in cardio-oncology.
- To outline areas where primary care teams can lead in managing cardiovascular disease in cancer patients.
- To address the limited awareness and application of cardio-oncology principles.
Main Methods:
- This paper is an opinion statement outlining the role of primary care.
- It reviews the interplay between cancer and cardiovascular disease.
- It discusses the phases of cancer treatment: pre-therapy, during therapy, and survivorship.
Main Results:
- Primary care physicians and their teams have a foundational role in managing cancer patients' cardiovascular health.
- Despite a lack of a formal framework, primary care can actively participate in all treatment phases.
- Increased awareness and application of cardio-oncology principles are needed.
Conclusions:
- Primary care physicians are essential in the multidisciplinary approach to cardio-oncology.
- Proactive management of cardiovascular risks and treatment side effects is vital for cancer survivors.
- Further development of clinical frameworks and shared care plans is necessary.
Opinion Statement:
There is significant interplay between cancer and cardiovascular disease involving shared risk factors, cross disease communication where cardiovascular events can influence cancer recurrence, and mortality rates and cardiotoxicity from cancer treatments with resultant increased cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in cancer patients. This is a major cause of death in many long-term cancer survivors. As a result, cardio-oncology, which involves the prevention, early detection, and optimal treatment of cardiovascular disease in patients treated for cancer, is expanding globally. However, there is still limited awareness of its importance and limited application of the lessons already learnt. Primary care physicians, and their clinical teams, especially nursing colleagues, have a foundation role in the management of all patients, and this paper outlines areas where they can lead in the cardio-oncology management of cancer patients. Although there is currently a lack of an adequate clinical framework or shared care plan, primary care physicians have a role to play in the various phases of cancer treatment: pre-therapy, during therapy, and survivorship.
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