"No Association Found Between Heart Failure And Cancer"
The presence of heart failure (HF) did not affect the overall incidence of cancer or the incidence of site-specific cancer or cancer-specific mortality, according to a new analysis of two large prospective analyses where patients were followed for almost 20 years. In an accompanying editorial, Paolo Boffetta, MD, professor of medicine, oncological sciences, hematology and medical oncology and associate director of population sciences at the Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, pointed to the strength of the analysis, including the large sample size, the prospective design and the long follow-up. “The study is also supported by high-quality data on the underlying comorbidities and potential confounders because the data were self-reported by study participants, who were physicians, and validated against medical records,” said Dr. Boffetta. "The association between HF and cancer risk is an important question that has significant clinical implications, including the need for increased cancer screening in patients with HF," Dr. Boffetta concluded. "Therefore, we need additional, larger studies to look at this question, and we also need to include cancer as one of the outcomes in HF trials."
- Paolo Boffetta, MD, Professor, Medicine, Oncological Sciences, Hematology and Medical Oncology, Associate Director, Population Sciences, The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai