Cancer Survivors Have a Higher Risk of Dying from Cardiovascular Diseases says a study
(Photo : Reuters)

There are studies that have been conducted in relation to the risk of cancer survivors dying from cardiovascular illnesses. 

According to one study, more or less one cancer patient face death from heart and blood vessel-related diseases rather than their primary illness. 

Three million patients from the United States were the subject of the study of the European Heart Journal. These people have had multiple cancer illnesses for more than 40 years.

According to the findings of the researchers of the study, there is a need to focus more on the cardiovascular health of cancer patient survivors.

Based on the statement released to the public by UK experts, doctors should implement more awareness of their patients. They also added that they should monitor their patients carefully.

 Out of the 3.23 million participants in the study, all of whom are cancer patients, thirty-eight percent had faced death from cancer and eleven percent had suffered from cardiovascular illness. Out of these patients who had experienced suffering from cardiovascular diseases, three-fourths are suffering from heart illnesses.

The percentage of cancer survivors who died from cardiovascular illnesses was the highest for those who had illnesses in their bowel, bladder, breast, larynx, prostate, and womb.

The threat could be best identified and described by the results of the chemotherapy treatment or the radiation treatment on the patients' bodies.

The rates are continuously getting higher compared to the overall population. According to the exact words of the results of the research, patients with cancer were "perpetually at elevated risk". 

According to the leader of the research and a radiation oncologist at Penn State Cancer Institute, Doctor Nicholas Zaorsky, stated that having sufficient knowledge of the risks involved with the disease may help cancer survivors to live longer and healthier.

Zaorsky said that improving the awareness of the threat involved may encourage the survivors of cancer to lead a better and healthier lifestyle that can help lessen their chances of getting cardiovascular illnesses and the chance of the cancer coming back.

According to the Head of Nursing for cancer information at Cancer Research in the UK, Martin Ledwick, medical practitioners should have knowledge of this study because it speaks of the need of patients suffering from cancer to be closely observed after the success of their treatments for other illnesses related to the heart such as heart illnesses and stroke. This study, however, does not explain why patients of cancer have an added threat of experiencing death from cardiovascular illnesses. Some say that it may be a side-effect of the treatments administered to the patients such as radiotherapy close to the chest. Some also say that the incident may be caused by the lifestyle of the person such as those who are obese or cigarette smokers. 

Based on the statement given by Professor Metin Avkiran, British Heart Foundation's assoc .medical director, the research provides additional evidence that, in comparison with the overall population, cancer survivors have an added threat of dying from cardiovascular diseases.

Prof. Avkiran said that there is still a need for additional studies to gain sufficient knowledge to determine other factors that affects the increased risked of patients with cancer on attaining cardiovascular illnesses after cancer-related treatments.