Young people with colon cancer are “significantly” more likely to die from heart problems than the general population, experts warn.
Researchers found that people with colorectal cancer are 16% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease (CVD), a group of heart diseases such as heart attacks and hypertension than people without colon cancer.
In patients diagnosed with colon cancer within the past two years, the risk has more than doubled.
However, this link was the most devastating among young patients increasingly being destroyed by colon cancer.
Colon cancer patients under the age of 50 were almost 2.5 times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than their peers.
Researchers don’t know why there is a link between colon cancer and mortality from CVD, but they suggested that aggressive cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation can cause heart damage and increase the risk of conditions like heart attacks.
Additionally, younger people are more likely to require more intense cancer treatment, as they are at a higher risk of being diagnosed at a later stage, due to lack of screening and more benign causes.
Based on their findings, the researchers sought an increase in research and surveillance on cardiovascular outcomes in young patients with colon cancer, especially within the first two years after diagnosis.
The rate of colorectal cancer among Americans under the age of 50 has risen over the past 20 years. This graph shows the latest years when data is available
Data show that heart attack cases are rising in the number of young people
“Based on our findings, the two years after the diagnosis of colorectal cancer is a critical period in which patients need active care to improve cardiovascular outcomes,” said Dr. Arsan Ayaz, a research author and resident of Internal Medicine, New York.
‘There should be an aggressive approach to controlling cardiovascular risk factors and comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension, for example.
“Most of these risk factors are managed by primary care providers, so coordination is required between the oncology and primary care teams.”
Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer death.
The American Cancer Society estimates that 154,270 Americans will be diagnosed with colon cancer this year, with 52,900 deaths.
The UK has 44,063 cases diagnosed per year, and the country experiences 16,808 deaths each year.
And since the 1990s, early-onset colon cancer has increased by 50%, with the incidence expected to double between 2010 and 2030.
A new study, published at the American School of Cardiology’s Annual Science Session later this month, examined data from 630,000 patients in the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Final Results (SEER) database.
Some warning signs are easy to find, such as severe chest pain, but others are more vague and difficult to identify
All patients were diagnosed with colorectal cancer between 2000 and 2021. The exact age of the patient is unknown.
Cardiovascular mortality was defined as aortic heart disease, hypertension, stroke, tears, or aneurysms, or death from atherosclerosis, or accumulation of arterial plaque.
The researchers found that colon cancer patients have an overall 16% increase in the risk of death from cardiovascular causes.
It is unknown which demographic they used as the control group.
The likelihood of dying from these conditions was highest in the first two years after colorectal cancer diagnosis, increasing to 45% during this period.
Colon cancer patients under the age of 50 were 2.4 times more likely to die from cardiovascular problems than people of the same age group who were not suffering from cancer.
Furthermore, the researchers concluded that black colorectal cancer patients had a 74% increase in the likelihood of dying from cardiovascular problems, while white men had a 55% increase in risk.
Dr. Ayaz suggested that racial disparities may be due to access to socioeconomic issues, location and care, but added that further research is needed on this.
The researchers said the increased risk for patients with colon cancer can be attributed to cardiac damage related to cardiotoxicity associated with cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation.
Bailey Hutchins, Tennessee, depicted on the left, died of colon cancer earlier this year at the age of 26 this year.
These treatments can lead to inflammation, scarring, and other forms of heart damage, making it more difficult for the heart to function properly.
Colon cancer also causes extensive inflammation that can spread to the heart, making it susceptible to damage.
Furthermore, the risk of cardiovascular death can be increased in younger people as more aggressive treatment is required and the potential for cardiotoxicity may increase.
Another study published earlier this year, examining 25,000 adults with colorectal cancer in Denmark, found that patients under the age of 50 are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage.
Late-stage cancer often requires a more aggressive combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy, all of which can contribute to cardiotoxicity.
Dr. Ayaz said: “There is no much data on side effects or toxicity for new treatments, but evidence is revealed that it causes cardiovascular toxicity.”
The team plans to conduct additional studies on cardiovascular mortality in colon cancer patients receiving various types of treatment.
