The discipline of Cardio-Oncology has seen tremendous growth over the
past decade. It is devoted to the cardiovascular (CV) care of the cancer
patient, especially to the mitigation and management of CV
complications or toxicities of cancer therapies, which can have profound
implications on prognosis. To that effect, many studies have assessed
CV toxicities in patients undergoing various types of cancer therapies;
however, direct comparisons have proven difficult due to lack of
uniformity in CV toxicity endpoints. Similarly, in clinical practice,
there can be substantial differences in the understanding of what
constitutes CV toxicity, which can lead to significant variation in
patient management and outcomes. This document addresses these issues
and provides consensus definitions for the most commonly reported CV
toxicities, including cardiomyopathy/heart failure and myocarditis,
vascular toxicity, and hypertension, as well as arrhythmias and QTc
prolongation. The current document reflects a harmonizing review of the
current landscape in CV toxicities and the definitions used to define
these. This consensus effort aims to provide a structure for definitions
of CV toxicity in the clinic and for future research. It will be
important to link the definitions outlined herein to outcomes in
clinical practice and CV endpoints in clinical trials. It should
facilitate communication across various disciplines to improve clinical
outcomes for cancer patients with CV diseases.
