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There are currently 17 million cancer survivors in the United States. Cancer patients have a 2–6 times higher cardiovascular mortality risk than the general population, and cardiovascular mortality is evident throughout the continuum of cancer care. Furthermore, for those patients with effective cancer treatments and declining cancer mortality, cardiovascular disease management becomes critical to improve outcomes and reduce overall mortality. Multiple factors result in decreased healthcare access and poor outcomes for these patients. At the present time, cardio-oncology programs exist predominately in large, academic, quaternary institutions. The American College of Cardiology’s National Cardio-Oncology Survey identified specific barriers which might limit the implementation of cardio-oncology programs, including: lack of funding, limited interest, lack of infrastructure, and lack of educational opportunities. Furthermore, cardiovascular testing indications that are not covered by medical insurance like post-radiation non-invasive cardiac testing for surveillance, biomarkers during chemotherapy treatment, and cardiac magnetic resonance used for early detection of cardiac effects of cancer-related therapies may present an additional obstacle to establishing cardio-oncology programs. |
