Male breast cancer patients face a heightened risk of cardiovascular issues
Cardiovascular conditions occur at an especially high rate among male breast cancer patients, according to new findings presented as part of the American College of Cardiology’s Advancing the Cardiovascular Care of the Oncology Patient virtual conference.
“Due to the rarity of male breast cancer, there is no cardiovascular data from larger clinical trials or population studies,” co-author Michael Ibrahim, a medical student at Georgetown University, said in a statement. “The lack of large data makes it even more important to individualize cardiovascular assessment and management based on each patient's unique oncologic, therapeutic and pre-existing cardiovascular risk profile to support them through cancer treatment into survivorship.”
Ibrahim et al. took a retrospective look at 24 male breast cancer patients who received care at one of two care centers in Washington, D.C. All patients were between the ages of 38 and 79 years old, and half of the cohort had a history of breast cancer in their family. Each patient underwent a mastectomy. While 71% of patients received hormone therapy, 16% received radiation, 8% received HER2-targeted therapy and 4% received anthracycline chemotherapy.
The team found that 88% of patients seeking treatment were overweight, 58% had high blood pressure, 54% had high cholesterol, 8% had tachyarrhythmia and another 13% developed tachyarrhythmia during treatment. Decreased ejection fraction was reported in two patients, and another two patients developed heart failure after treatment had concluded.
“The field of cardio-oncology is well positioned to ensure that cardiologists and oncologists work closely together to address both the patients' oncologic and cardiac concerns,” Ibrahim said in the same statement. “Cardio-oncologists or cardiologists should pay close attention to the proposed treatment plan and be part of a multidisciplinary cancer care team to evaluate the patients' cardiovascular risk prior to and through cancer treatments.”
Providing male breast cancer patients with “an upfront cardiovascular risk assessment” is also crucial, he added, limiting “psychological surprise” during a time of significant stress.
More information on the Advancing the Cardiovascular Care of the Oncology Patient virtual conference is available here. The event runs from Jan. 25 to April 25, and live presentations are scheduled for Feb. 5 and 6.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.