Incidental Coronary Arterial Calcification for Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in Men With Prostate Cancer Undergoing...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Oncology
• Radiology

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease is prevalent in men with prostate cancer, representing the primary cause of mortality.
• Existing cardiovascular risk assessment tools are not easily integrated into prostate cancer treatment settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of incidental coronary calcification detected on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans as a predictor of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in men with recurrent prostate cancer.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 354 patients with recurrent prostate cancer who underwent PET/CT between 2012 and 2017.
• Coronary calcification was assessed on non-gated CT imaging.
• Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were tracked for 5 years post-PET/CT.

Main Results:

• Twenty-one percent of patients experienced at least one MACE within 5 years.
• Incidental coronary calcification on PET/CT was a significant predictor of MACE (Hazard Ratio = 1.9, P = .03).
• The Framingham risk score was not predictive of MACE in a subgroup of patients.

Conclusions:

• Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) are common in men with recurrent prostate cancer.
• Incidental coronary calcification on PET/CT is associated with increased MACE risk.
• Coronary calcification on PET/CT may serve as a practical cardiovascular risk predictor for prostate cancer providers.