Abstract

Introduction: Lung cancer survivors have heightened risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) due to shared risk factors. Chest computed tomography (CT) is routinely performed for cancer staging and radiotherapy (RT) planning. However, the extent of coronary artery calcium (CAC) and thoracic aortic calcium (TAC) is not routinely evaluated for ASCVD risk assessment. Methods: We evaluated the extent of CAC and TAC from chest CTs obtained for routine care prior to RT in a cohort of lung cancer survivors from 2007 to 2021 at a single academic health system that serves a large multiracial community. The demographics, baseline cardiovascular risk factors and baseline ASCVD (the composite of myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease, or peripheral arterial disease) were compared between survivors with and without CAC or TAC. The primary end point was incident ASCVD. Results: The cohort studied 603 subjects, including 19% non-Hispanic Whites, 33% non-Hispanic Blacks and 32% Hispanics. Mean age was 65±11 years, with 45% women. CAC was present in 72% of subjects and TAC in 85%. Individuals with CAC had higher prevalence of hypertension (75% vs 57%, p<0.001), diabetes (41% vs 20%, p<0.001) and hyperlipidemia (49% vs 26%, p<0.001). Survivors with CAC had a higher prevalence of baseline ASCVD (33% vs 18%, p=0.001). Survivors with TAC yielded similar findings. In individuals without prior ASCVD, 10-year ASCVD risk score was higher in survivors with CAC (20%±21% vs 12%±13%, p=0.009) or with TAC (19%±20% vs 8%±8%, p=0.007). In a median follow-up time of 15 months, the new development of ASCVD appeared higher in survivors with CAC (23% vs 14%, p=0.04, Figure A) and with TAC (22% vs 8%, p=0.01, Figure B). Conclusions: In a large cohort of multiracial lung cancer survivors, presence of CAC or TAC based on routine chest CT at baseline is associated with a higher burden of ASCVD risk and predicts a higher risk of the new development of ASCVD during follow- up.

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