Cancer

The cardio-oncology subspecialty has exploded in recent years, with the launch of dedicated cardio-oncology centers, entire conferences focusing on this area and new research, as awareness of cardiotoxicities associated with cancer treatment has increased.

Edward S. Kim, MD, chair of the department of solid tumor oncology and investigational therapeutics at Levine Cancer Institute at Atrium Health, spoke with Healio about how COVID-19 has affected cancer care delivery.

Edward S. Kim, MD, chair of the department of solid tumor oncology and investigational therapeutics at Levine Cancer Institute at Atrium Health, spoke with Healio about the impact COVID-19 has had on delivery of cancer care at his institution.

Most fine-needle aspiration procedures for thyroid nodules can be safely delayed for 6 months or longer during the COVID-19 pandemic; data show such delays do not influence the long-term prognosis for common forms of thyroid cancer, according to an editorial published in Clinical Thyroidology.

Good news about COVID-19 is at a premium these days. Encouraging reports about therapeutic options or vaccine development usually are either overly optimistic or entirely spurious. But scientific advancement is as relentless as the virus itself, and this is exemplified by a growing body of research into a potential association between cytokine storm syndrome and COVID-19.

Substantial improvements in cancer treatment during the past several decades are an unequivocal victory for oncology — making long-term survival a reality for many patients.

Patients with ACS who had a bleeding event after hospital discharge had an increased risk for a subsequent cancer diagnosis within the first 6 months, according to a study published in The American Journal of Cardiology.

The American Cancer Society estimates there will be approximately 1.8 million new cancer diagnoses and 606,520 cancer-related deaths in the United States this year. As of January 2019, there were about 16.9 million cancer survivors in the country, representing approximately 5% of the U.S. population, according to the National Cancer Institute.

A long-term follow-up of Australian adults with diabetes suggests the age-adjusted incidence rate of chronic kidney disease was six new cases per 100 person-years during a span of 11 years, with comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity and depression all driving the higher risk for renal function decline, according to findings published in Diabetes Care.

Among women undergoing chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer, statin exposure reduced risk for hospitalization due to HF by up to 66%, according to a retrospective population-based cohort study presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session.