More than 1 in 10 cancer patients actually die from heart disease, research shows

The risk of dying from heart disease and stroke was almost four times higher in he first year after a cancer diagnosis compared with the general population
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Ellena Cruse25 November 2019

More than 1 in 10 cancer patients die from heart disease rather than initial illness, new research has revealed.

The study, published in the European Heart Journal, involved more than three million US patients with 28 different cancers, across 40 years.

The investigation found that 38 per cent of patients studied died from cancer while 11 per cent died from cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Three-quarters of these died from heart disease.

Researchers said more attention should be given to cardiovascular risk in patients as more and more people are surviving cancer.

People with cancer had a higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease for the rest of their lives
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Which type of cancers had a higher rate of heart disease?

The study revealed that the risk of dying from heart disease and stroke was almost four times higher in the first year after a cancer diagnosis compared with the general population, and remained higher throughout the rest of life.

Experts are unsure why people with cancer have a higher risk of heart disease, but cancer treatment itself or lifestyle factors – such as being overweight, not exercising or drinking too much alcohol – may be to blame.

Among people diagnosed with cancer before the age of 55 who went on to survive their cancer, the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease was more than 10 times higher than that for the general population.

Meanwhile, most deaths from heart disease occurred in patients diagnosed with breast, prostate or bladder cancer – due to these being more common cancers.

Harsh cancer treatment could put additional pressure on the heart, researchers said
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Overall, cancer survivors with cancer of the breast, larynx, skin, Hodgkin lymphoma, thyroid, testes, prostate, endometrium, bladder, vulva, and penis were as likely to die from cardiovascular disease as they were to die of their initial cancer.

What do UK experts think about the study?

Cancer Research UK‘s head cancer nurse, Martin Ledwick said doctors should be aware of this research as it suggests cancer patients need to be monitored more closely after treatment for heart disease and stroke.

“But it doesn’t tell us why some cancer patients may be at higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease,” he added

“For some, it might be treatment-related – radiotherapy to the chest and some chemotherapy drugs can lead to a higher risk of heart disease.

Most deaths from heart disease occurred in patients diagnosed with breast, prostate or bladder cancer
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“But some of the cancers included in the study share lifestyle risk factors with cardiovascular disease, for example obesity and smoking, which might also explain the increased risk.

“This is another reason why it’s important for everyone to have a healthy lifestyle.”

British Heart Foundation‘s associate medical director Professor Metin Avkiran added: “What is becoming increasingly clear is that cancer doctors and cardiologists need to work together from an early stage, to try and minimise the risk of patients surviving cancer but succumbing to heart and circulatory diseases.”

New research compared the US population with more than 3.2 million cancer survivors
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What do experts who conducted the study say?

Penn State College of Medicine’s assistant professor, Dr Kathleen Sturgeon said: “These findings show that a large proportion of certain cancer patients will die of cardiovascular disease, including heart disease, stroke, aneurysm, high blood pressure and damage to blood vessels.

“The risk of death from cardiovascular diseases is several times that of the general population in the first year of diagnosis; sometimes, this risk decreases, but for most, this risk increases as survivors are followed for 10 years or more.

“Increasing awareness of this risk may spur cancer survivors to implement healthy lifestyle behaviours that not only decrease their risk of cardiovascular disease, but also the risk of cancer recurrence.”

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