by
Christina Hwang, Contributing Reporter | June 09, 2016
Will support research
on impact of cancer
treatment on heart disease
Aurora Health Care recently launched the Karen Yontz Center for Cardio-Oncology with the objective of creating preventative care and ongoing screenings for cancer patients.The centers aim to determine how to decrease future health problems that may be linked to cancer treatment.
The center will use cardiovascular imaging systems such as 4-D echocardiography and myocardial speckle imaging to help physicians detect earlier heart abnormalities in the patients and also develop treatment plans tailored to a specific patient.
According to the announcement, staff members will cross-reference patient medical records with known toxic chemotherapy drug profiles to determine the best way to minimize the risks of a patient developing cardiovascular problems.
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“It’s important that our past, current and future patients understand that there can be heart-health implications from certain types of cancer treatments,” said Dr. James Weese, a surgical oncologist and vice president of Aurora Cancer Services, in a statement. “This initiative will educate people and collect data that will one day save lives.”
A database will also be developed by Aurora that will be “analytically-driven” to see how certain treatments can impact cardiovascular conditions, with the ultimate goal of driving treatment strategies.
“With the support of the new Karen Yontz Center for Cardio-Oncology, we hope to better identify more specific details about what treatments may impact a certain type of patient based on age, ethnicity and other factors,” said Dr. Bijoy Khandheria, cardiologist at Aurora Health Care, in a statement.
“Imaging technology will be critical to help in enabling early detection of heart muscle abnormalities, and this, coupled with our comprehensive team approach, will provide the best options for patients,” he said.
Both the Karen Yontz Women’s Cardiac Awareness and Karen Yontz Cardio-Oncology Centers are named after Karen Yontz, a woman who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, according to the announcement. She received chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and was later diagnosed with heart disease. She died eight years later and it is believed that her death is due to her cancer treatment.
