Heart disease and cancer may seem like separate health issues, but research increasingly shows that they’re more connected than we might realize. In fact, the similarities span from common risk factors and treatment implications to long-term health impacts.
At Houston Cancer Institute, Maria Scouros, MD, and our team are committed to comprehensive cancer care that supports you not only through treatment but also in managing your overall health during and after treatment, and that includes your cardiovascular wellness.
This American Heart Month, we’re taking a closer look at three important connections between heart health and cancer that everyone should understand.
Both heart disease and cancer have many different risk factors, and there’s overlap between them. These shared factors mean that what’s good for your heart is often good for reducing cancer risk, and vice versa. A few examples include:
Smoking is a major risk factor for lung, bladder, and several other cancers. It’s also a leading cause of heart disease.
A diet that includes a lot of processed foods can contribute to inflammation, metabolic stress, high blood pressure (hypertension), weight gain, and increased cancer risk. A sedentary lifestyle can also increase your risk of heart issues and cancer, while regular exercise supports heart health and helps regulate hormones and immune function to reduce cancer risk.
Inflammation plays a role in atherosclerosis, which is plaque buildup inside your arteries. Atherosclerosis is a contributing factor to heart disease, and it can also contribute to cancer development over time.
It’s important to note that you can’t control every risk factor for heart disease or cancer. However, addressing these shared risk factors through healthy lifestyle changes like balanced nutrition, regular exercise, quitting smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight supports both cardiovascular health and cancer prevention.
Thanks to medical advances cancer therapies are more effective than ever, but certain treatments can carry unintended cardiovascular side effects. This is an important area where close monitoring and collaboration between oncology and cardiology specialists can make a big difference.
For example, chemotherapy can strain your heart or affect blood pressure and rhythm. Radiation therapy near your chest (like for breast or lung cancer) can sometimes impact heart tissue or coronary arteries if not precisely targeted. Hormone therapies for breast or prostate cancer can influence cholesterol, blood vessel health, or metabolic function.
At Houston Cancer Institute, our team works with patients to anticipate and monitor potential cardiac impacts during cancer care, adjusting treatment plans and coordinating with cardiology when needed. Awareness and early intervention are key to minimizing long-term effects on heart health.
As cancer survival rates improve, more people are living long, active lives after treatment. But studies show that cancer survivors can face higher rates of heart disease, especially if they received treatments known to stress the cardiovascular system.
This makes survivorship care, which is the healthcare that follows active cancer treatment, especially important. An effective survivorship plan should include elements like:
Houston Cancer Institute emphasizes holistic care that doesn’t stop when cancer treatment ends, because long-term wellness includes caring for your heart as well as monitoring for recurrence or late effects.
Understanding the connections between heart health and cancer empowers you to take proactive steps toward prevention, wise treatment decision-making, and long-term wellness.
Observing American Heart Month by learning these links serves as a reminder that your body functions as an integrated whole, and we are committed to comprehensive cancer care that considers every aspect of your health. If you or a loved one is navigating cancer treatment or survivorship, contact our team to schedule an appointment today at our offices in Houston or Katy, Texas.
