Cardio-Oncology and Heart Failure: a Scientific Statement From the Heart Failure Society of America.

Heart failure and cancer remain 2 of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, and the 2 disease entities are linked in a complex manner. Patients with cancer are at increased risk of cardiovascular complications related to the cancer therapies. The presence of cardiomyopathy or heart failure in a patient with new cancer diagnosis portends a high risk for adverse oncology and cardiovascular outcomes.

Echocardiography Core Laboratory Reproducibility of Cardiac Safety Assessments in Cardio-Oncology.

Background: As the potential for cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction is increasingly recognized, there is a need for the standardization of echocardiographic measurements and cut points to guide treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the reproducibility of cardiac safety assessments across two academic echocardiography core laboratories (ECLs) at the University of Pennsylvania and the Duke Clinical Research Institute.

Methods: To harmonize the application of guideline-recommended measurement conventions, the ECLs conducted multiple training sessions to align measurement practices for traditional and emerging assessments of left ventricular (LV) function.