The UPMC Center for Cardio-Oncology

About the UPMC Center for Cardio-Oncology

Cancer care and treatment have greatly evolved over the past decades. Thanks to teams of devoted researchers, cancer patients are surviving and thriving.

Detailed research has also led to the finding of cardiovascular toxicities from certain cancer treatments, drugs, and radiation therapy.

The UPMC Center for Cardio-Oncology is a partnership between the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. We work to prevent, detect, and treat heart and blood vessel problems resulting from cancer treatment.

The center is among the first of its kind. It brings together the unique skills of both UPMC cardiologists and oncologists to provide complete care for cancer patients and survivors.

Goals of the UPMC Center for Cardio-Oncology

Our goals are to:

• Offer a team approach to cardiovascular and cancer care.
• Provide a streamlined path for you to schedule appointments, cardiac testing, and receive heart and vessel care.
• Offer a heart disease risk assessment before you start chemo, radiation, immunotherapy, stem cell transplant, or other cancer treatment.
• Assess, detect, and treat the adverse effects of cancer treatment on the heart and vascular system.
• Improve cancer- and heart-related patient outcomes.
• Further discern the complexity between cancer treatment plans and heart and vascular toxicities to create best practices for care.

Unique treatment approaches for heart problems and cancer

The UPMC Center for Cardio-Oncology works to prevent or treat the adverse cardiovascular effects of certain cancer treatments.

By teaming up with the experts at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, the center offers a unique treatment approach that includes:

• Assessing the risks of heart disease based on cancer type and treatment, family history, and other factors.
• Using state-of-the-art 2- and 3-D echocardiography (echo), including myocardial strain assessment. Echo images of the heart let us track changes or effects of cancer treatment. They also help us predict who may be at a higher risk of cardiotoxicities.
• Working directly with cancer doctors to design treatment plans that lower the risk of heart disease while effectively treating cancer.

Excellence in Cardio-Oncology

Our center is known for excellence in:

• Detecting the risks and likelihood of getting heart disease.
• Designing courses of treatment that account for both the type of cancer and the potential for cardiovascular disease.
• Offering personalized patient care.
• Providing skillful teamwork and direct communication between cardiologists and oncologists.

Our integrative team includes:

• Cardiologists
• Oncologists
• Support team members
• Nurses
• Clinical research coordinators