Cardio-Oncology: Protecting Your Heart Throughout Cancer Care
Cancer treatment can be lifesaving. Yet some therapies—including certain chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy —may cause or worsen heart and blood vessel problems.
MedStar Health’s cardio-oncology program brings heart and cancer specialists together to help protect your cardiovascular health before, during, and after cancer treatment. We care for people with existing heart disease, those at risk for heart problems, and cancer survivors who develop cardiovascular concerns after treatment.
Care centered on your heart and your cancer treatment
Cardio-oncology is a team-based approach. Cardiologists work closely with your medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and/or other cancer specialists to prevent, identify, and manage cardiovascular disease throughout every stage of cancer care and survivorship.
Your care team evaluates your individual heart health and cancer treatment plan, then collaborates on ways to reduce cardiac risk while supporting effective cancer treatment. Depending on your needs, this may include heart-protective medications, closer monitoring, lifestyle guidance, or consideration of alternative cancer therapies.
How we help
Our cardio-oncology program is designed to help:
- Assess heart health and cardiovascular risk before cancer therapy begins
- Monitor for possible heart-related side effects during treatment
- Detect and manage heart complications early
- Prevent or reduce further heart damage and, when possible, help restore heart function
- Screen for late cardiovascular effects after treatment is complete
- Support lifelong heart health during cancer survivorship
Why choose MedStar Health for cardio-oncology?
MedStar Health established the first cardio-oncology program in the greater Baltimore/Washington, D.C., region. Our specialized cardiologists and cancer clinicians work side by side to coordinate care, communicate in real time, and make decisions that consider the whole person—not just one condition.
We use advanced cardiac imaging to better understand what is happening in and around your heart. Testing may include targeted laboratory tests, cardiac MRI, specialized echocardiography, cardiac CT, and PET imaging. These detailed images help your care team evaluate the mass, understand how it may be affecting your heart, and plan next steps.
Our program also contributes to research focused on improving cardiovascular outcomes for people with cancer and cancer survivors. This commitment helps our teams continue to advance the prevention, early detection, and treatment of cancer-related heart disease.
Insurance
MedStar Health accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Health, please call your insurance company.