Cardiology Patient Page. ABCDE Steps for Heart and Vascular Wellness Following a Prostate Cancer Diagnosis.

Abstract

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in men in the United States, with more than 240 000 new cases expected in 2015. Fortunately, close to 90% of patients are diagnosed at an early stage. Over the past several decades, the 5-year median survival of patients with prostate cancer has increased to more than 99%, largely owing to both the improvements in early diagnosis and innovations in treatment. As a result, there are nearly 3 million prostate cancer survivors in the United States today, representing 4 out of every 10 male cancer survivors. In the last several years, there has been growing recognition of health care needs of cancer survivors. This is true with prostate cancer survivors and is especially relevant to cardiovascular (heart and vascular) disease in this patient population. Cardiovascular disease is common in prostate cancer patients and survivors for several reasons. Prostate cancer occurs at an age when men may already have cardiovascular disease or may have risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes mellitus. In fact, many prostate cancer patients actually die of heart disease rather than prostate cancer itself. In addition, several treatments for prostate cancer can have harmful effects on the heart and vessels. For example, inhibiting the male sex hormones (collectively called androgens) is an important means of treating prostate cancer. However, this hormone therapy (also called androgen deprivation therapy [ADT]) is associated with an increased risk of diabetes mellitus and may make men more susceptible to cardiovascular disease, especially older men. In light of this, experts from the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society and the American Urological Society have come to a consensus that urges the surveillance of cardiac risk factors in men receiving ADT. In addition, the US Food and Drug Administration labeled ADT …