Exploring the Connections Between Cancer and Heart Disease
James Grant, M.D.
| 3 min read
James D. Grant, M.D., is executive vice president an...
Key Takeaways
- Shared risk factors such as age, obesity, diabetes, smoking and inactivity drive both cancer and heart disease, often through chronic inflammation.
- The relationship is bidirectional: heart failure can release proteins that promote tumor growth, while many cancer therapies can damage the heart, leading to cardiotoxicity.
- Early detection of heart‑related symptoms — shortness of breath, chest pain, irregular heartbeat, fatigue, swelling or dizziness — during or after cancer treatment is critical for timely intervention.
What do cancer and heart disease – two leading chronic diseases in the United States – have in common? Quite a bit, actually.
It may seem as if cancer and heart disease are completely separate health challenges. However, the two share more in common than most people realize.
Common risk factors
Both cancer and heart disease can develop from certain risk factors, including aging, family history, obesity, diabetes, smoking, poor diet and physical inactivity. These factors can cause or worsen conditions in the body such as chronic inflammation that raise the risk for both diseases.
For example, smoking increases the likelihood of lung, throat and other cancers. It also can lead to a buildup of plaque in the arteries that can cause heart attacks and strokes. Obesity and inactivity contribute to high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol and chronic inflammation — conditions that are common in those with cardiovascular disease and with certain cancers.
This means that those living with one disease often have a higher risk for the other.
How the conditions affect each other
Not only do cancer and heart disease have common risk factors, but the two diseases can often impact each other. This is called a “bidirectional” relationship.
For example, having heart disease seems to increase the incidence of some cancers. This is particularly true with heart failure. In heart failure, certain proteins and inflammatory signals are released into the bloodstream that may promote tumor development and growth.
Similarly, cancer and many treatments for cancer can affect the heart. Many therapies, such as chemo, immune or radiation therapies can damage the heart or blood vessels, cause heart or blood vessel inflammation in blood vessels, or lead to high blood pressure or arrhythmia.
In fact, there’s a growing field of medicine called cardio-oncology that studies the inter-relationship between cancer and heart disease and helps to manage cardiovascular complications in cancer patients and survivors.
Symptoms to monitor
If you or someone you love has cancer, heart disease or both, it’s important to stay alert to symptoms of potential complications, and do not delay in telling your health care provider about them.
For those who are undergoing or who recently underwent cancer treatment, key symptoms to monitor are:
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
- Unusual fatigue
- Swelling in the legs, ankles or abdomen
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
These symptoms can indicate cardiotoxicity, or heart damage that arises from cancer treatment. Monitoring these symptoms helps health care providers detect cardiotoxicity early on and adjust treatment plans to manage it.
Staying alert
Understanding the connectivity between cancer and heart disease can help to better manage both conditions and put a focus on preventive care and health maintenance.
If you have concerns about cancer, heart disease or their treatments, contact your health care provider. Prompt action and good communication can make a meaningful difference in long-term health and quality of life.
Image: Getty Images
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