Increased Risk for Cardiovascular Disease Among Endometrial Cancer Survivors

Endometrial cancer is the second most common cancer among female cancer survivors in the U.S., and like women in the general population, the leading cause of death of these survivors is cardiovascular disease. Researchers in Salt Lake City and Los Angeles used data from electronic medical records and hospitals to track 2,648 endometrial cancer survivors and compared them to 10,503 age-matched women from the general population. They discovered that:

• Between 1 and 5 years after an endometrial cancer diagnosis, increased cardiovascular risks were observed for atrial fibrillation, pulmonary heart disease, phlebitis, thrombophlebitis, and thromboembolism.
• Women who underwent surgery followed by radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy for endometrial cancer were at increased risk for heart and circulatory system disorders compared to women who only underwent surgery.
• Older age and obesity also increased the risk of hypertension and heart disease among endometrial cancer survivors in the study.

The researchers concluded that endometrial cancer survivors are at higher risk for adverse long-term cardiovascular outcomes compared with women from the general population, and increased weight control programs and monitoring for cardiovascular diseases may be needed. The study findings were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.