ASNC Announces New Imaging Guideline for the Management of Cardiac Complications with Cancer Therapy Patients
The Role of Cardiac Imaging in the Management of Cardiac Complications of Cancer Therapy.
Bethesda, MD - A new guideline published this month by the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) provides cardiologists, cardiac imaging specialists, cardio-oncologists and oncologists with a comprehensive resource for understanding how nuclear cardiac imaging may be used in the diagnosis, prevention and management of cardiovascular implications of cancer therapy.
There is a growing awareness concerning the importance of recognizing the cardiovascular implications of cancer therapy, which has led to the development of a new field, Cardio-Oncology. This field focuses on diagnosing and treating these complications but also preventing them. ASNC recognizes the importance of providing the field with specialized knowledge from oncology to cardiology, including the understanding of evaluation and management of cardiovascular complications from cancer and its therapy. This is true not only for established cancer therapies, such as anthracyclines, that have well established cardiovascular toxicities, but also for the new targeted therapies that can have “off target” effects in the heart and vessels. In addition, the document is meant to provide useful general information concerning the cardiovascular complications of cancer and cancer therapy, as well as established recommendations for monitoring of specific cardiotoxic therapies.
“The ASNC Cardio-Oncology Informational Statement is designed to provide practitioners with a guide to how nuclear cardiology can be used in the cardiovascular care of individuals with cancer,” says Dr. Raymond Russell, MD, PhD, FASNC, lead author of the guideline. “In addition, this paper is meant to be a general cardio-oncology reference – one convenient place to find specific information concerning the cardiovascular toxicities of the various cancer therapies.”
In the best interest of patient care and advancing the field of cardio-oncology, it is critical that technique-specific, evidence-based guidelines be established to help improve and standardize the use of all noninvasive cardiac testing and the ensuing treatment decisions to optimize the cardiovascular health and care of patients with cancer.
For more information, go to www.asnc.org/guidelinesandstandards.
About ASNC
The American Society of Nuclear Cardiology ASNC is the recognized leader in quality, education, advocacy and standards in cardiovascular imaging, with nearly 4,000 members worldwide. ASNC is the only society dedicated solely to advocacy issues that impact the field of nuclear cardiology and is working with success to influence regulations to fight onerous private health plan policies -- adverting reimbursement declines and fighting for improved payment and coverage. ASNC is dedicated to continuous quality improvement, education and patient-centered imaging, illustrating the ongoing commitment as a leader in the field of nuclear imaging and improving patient outcomes. ASNC establishes standards for excellence in cardiovascular imaging through the development of clinical guidelines, professional education, advocacy and research development. ASNC’s members are comprised of cardiologists, radiologists, physicians, scientists, technologists, imaging specialists and other professionals committed to the science and practice of nuclear cardiology. www.asnc.org