Here’s How Oncology APPs Can Move Cardio-Oncology Care Upstream

More than two-thirds of cancer survivors are aged 65 or older, which is often when the general risk for heart disease increases. Some cancer drugs increase patients’ risk for cardiovascular (CV) adverse events, such as arrhythmias, myocardial ischemia, hypertension, myocarditis, heart failure, and other cardiac complications. Here’s how oncology advanced practice providers (APPs) can assess for risk factors, implement prevention strategies (see sidebar), and improve the complex, coordinated care of patients receiving cardiotoxic drugs throughout the cancer continuum.