Hypertension management in cardio-oncology

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. During the last few decades prognosis has improved dramatically and patients are living longer and suffering long-term cardiovascular consequences of chemotherapeutic agents. Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer survivors second only to recurrent cancer. In some types of cancer, cardiovascular disease is a more common cause of death than the cancer itself. This has led to a new sub-specialty of cardiology coined cardio-oncology to manage this specific population. Hypertension is one of the most common cardiovascular disease seen in this cohort. The aetiology of hypertension in cardio-oncology is complex and multifactorial based on the type of chemotherapy, type of malignancy and intrinsic patient factors such as age and pre-existing comorbidities. A variety of different oncological treatments have been implicated in causing hypertension. The effect can be transient whilst undergoing treatment or can be delayed occurring decades after treatment. A tailored management plan is recommended given the plethora of agents and their differing underlying mechanisms and speed of this mechanism in causing hypertension. Management by a multidisciplinary team consisting of oncology, general practice and cardiology is advised. There are currently no trials comparing antihypertensives in this specific cohort of patients. In the absence of evidence demonstrating otherwise, hypertension in cardio-oncology should be managed utilising the same treatment guidelines for the general population.