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Cardiovascular health is gaining greater attention in cancer care as the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) prepares to host its first-ever cardio-oncology conference. Scheduled for June 20–21, 2025, in Florence, Italy, this global forum will bring together experts to address the overlap between cancer treatments and cardiovascular disease (CVD). With cancer therapies increasingly linked to cardiotoxicity, the event underscores the need to incorporate cardiovascular care into cancer treatment plans from the outset.
Studies published in the European Heart Journal reveal the prevalence of cardiotoxicity in cancer patients: 32% experience mild cardiovascular side effects, while 3% develop moderate toxicity and another 3% the most severe forms. Without proper monitoring, even mild toxicities have the potential to worsen, creating significant challenges for both patients and healthcare providers.
In response to this growing concern, the ESC published its first Clinical Practice Guidelines on cardio-oncology in 2022. These guidelines offer a detailed framework for identifying and managing cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity (CTR-CVT). They recommend assessing patients’ risk using specific scoring systems, adopting preventive strategies in high-risk cases, and employing advanced cardiac imaging and biomarkers to monitor for early signs of toxicity. Long-term follow-up is also advised for cancer survivors who have undergone treatments with potential delayed cardiovascular effects.
“The main goal of this emerging specialty of cardio-oncology is to reduce the burden of CVD in cancer patients, allowing them to receive the best anticancer therapy with the lowest rate of side effects and treatment interruptions,” explained Dr. Teresa López-Fernandez, co-chair of the ESC Cardio-Oncology Guidelines Task Force.
Cardio-oncology is becoming an essential focus in medicine due to the aging global population, improved cancer survival rates, and the increasing prevalence of cardiotoxicity. Dr. Alexander Lyon, also co-chair of the ESC Cardio-Oncology Guidelines Task Force, described the situation as a potential “epidemic,” driven by the growing number of cancer survivors and patients over 65 requiring long-term cancer therapies.
The ESC's approach emphasizes collaboration between cardiologists and oncologists to minimize cardiovascular complications without interrupting cancer treatments. Vulnerable populations, such as children, adolescents, and pregnant women with cancer, are given special attention in the guidelines to ensure tailored care.
The ESC Cardio-Oncology 2025 conference aims to advance this evolving field by bringing together global experts to share knowledge and best practices. “Our mission is always to ensure that cancer patients have the best and most effective cancer treatment safely, and to prevent interruptions in their cancer treatment due to cardiovascular problems which could have been prevented,” said Dr. Lyon.
By creating a dedicated forum for cardio-oncology, the ESC seeks to enhance patient outcomes by addressing cardiotoxicity proactively. For clinicians, the message is clear: incorporating cardiovascular care into oncology practices is essential to providing holistic and effective treatment.