Cardiovascular diseases and cancer are of the most prevalent in the developed world and have common risk factors, such as smoking, hypertension, diabetes and a sedentary lifestyle. “Our goal is to put the patient in optimal conditions to receive oncologic treatment, and follow him up during and after those treatments, that can have adverse effects”, explained Júlia Toste , responsible for the consultation of Cardio-oncology at Hospital da Luz Lisboa, during an interview to RTP1, broadcasted last 27 October. The cardiologist reminded, for that matter, how the need arose of a specific intervention by this speciality in patients with cancer: “It was observed that the treatments they are subject to (such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy) can trigger cardiovascular complications, even years later. Therefore, oncologic patients may have a cardiovascular disease due to their basic risk factors, but also due to treatments”. The role of Cardio-oncology is to avoid situations of cardiac insufficiency or even death by cardiovascular disease. “We control the risk factors of the patient, treating the cardiovascular diseases that he has and which were not yet diagnosed. During treatments, the oncologist counts permanently with the cardiologist to optimize treatments, in order to reduce cardiovascular lesion and, afterwards, some kind of monitoring should be maintained, for the effects may manifest only years later”, she further clarified. Júlia Toste on RTP1 (between minutes 13:30 and 18:00)
