Cancer and cardiovascular disease in older adults

Cardiovascular disease and cancer share many risk factors and are two of the most common diseases in older adults. Often, cancer and cardiovascular disease coexist or cancer-related therapy leads to cardiovascular disease necessitating management by a multidisciplinary geriatric cardio-oncology team. In older patients undergoing anticancer therapy, a comprehensive geriatric assessment can help identify patient-specific factors influencing care, while serial and personalized cardiovascular assessments can help identify patients at risk for development of cardiovascular disease during or after cancer treatment. Early identification of cardiovascular disease can enable oncologists to tailor anticancer therapies and cardiologists to introduce guideline-directed medical therapy as appropriate to help minimize adverse effects, maintain quality of life, and improve survival.