2020 Volume 23 Issue 2 Pages 113-119
Cancer treatments have markedly progressed and the prognosis of patients with cancers has improved. As long-term survival is often expected, when cancer treatment is completed as scheduled, supportive care is increasingly required for cancer patients to receive treatment without interruption. Supportive measures include not only those to relieve gastrointestinal symptoms, bone marrow suppression, and pain, but also those to detect and treat previously unexpected complications caused by newly developed molecular targeting agents and immune checkpoint inhibitors. To meet the requirement for the regional core hospital for cancers designated by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, we established an onco-cardiology unit to facilitate supportive care in cancer treatment. Cardiotoxicity of anthracyclines is a well-known cardiovascular complication associated with chemotherapy. However, as the number of new drugs, which may cause cardiotoxicity, thrombosis, and hypertension, has rapidly increased in recent years, early detection and treatment of these cardiovascular complications are required. On the other hand, cancer survivors have a long-term risk of developing cardiovascular disease. In the setting of the progress in cancer treatment, the onco-cardiology unit was established nationwide in order to address cardiovascular complications that develop during and after cancer treatment. To clarify the details of cancer treatment and the state of cancer, we need to share information among all oncology departments. The author outlines the onco-cardiology unit at our hospital, and cancer therapeutic-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) and cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (cancer VTE), which are currently attracting attention in the field of onco-cardiology.
