Risk of cardiac death among cancer survivors in the United States: a SEER database analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACTBackground: Population-based data on the risk of cardiac death among cancer survivors are needed. This scenario was evaluated in cancer survivors (>5 years) registered within the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database.Methods: The SEER database was queried using SEER*Stat to determine the frequency of cardiac death compared to other causes of death; and to determine heart disease-specific and cancer-specific survival rates in survivors of each of the 10 most common cancers in men and women in the SEER database.Results: For cancer-specific survival rate, the highest rates were related to thyroid cancer survivors; while the lowest rates were related to lung cancer survivors. For heart disease-specific survival rate, the highest rates were related to thyroid cancer survivors; while the lowest rates were related to both lung cancer survivors and urinary bladder cancer survivors. The following factors were associated with a higher likelihood of cardiac death: male gender, old age at diagnosis, black race and local treatment with radiotherapy rather than surgery (P < 0.0001 for all parameters).Conclusion: Among cancer survivors (>5 years), cardiac death is a significant cause of death and there is a wide variability among different cancers in the relative importance of cardiac death vs. cancer-related death.