Researchers at a university have developed an innovative tool utilizing artificial intelligence to assess the risk of secondary heart attacks in cancer patients.
Cancer patients who endure a heart attack face heightened risks due to their already compromised cardiovascular systems. This vulnerability significantly raises their likelihood of mortality, severe bleeding, or additional serious cardiovascular complications.
Depending on the specific type of tumor, cancer patients may face an increased risk of bleeding, arterial blood clots, or both. Each of these conditions necessitates distinct anti-platelet treatments for secondary prevention following the initial event.
Historically, medical professionals lacked a standardized tool to assist in treating this particular demographic. However, an international research team, spearheaded by the University of Leicester, has introduced the first risk prediction model specifically tailored for cancer patients experiencing heart attacks.
Named ONCO-ACS, this tool leverages artificial intelligence to integrate cancer-related factors with conventional clinical data, enabling predictions regarding the likelihood of death, significant bleeding, or further cardiac events within a six-month period.
This study, recently published in The Lancet, evaluated over one million heart attack cases in patients from England, Sweden, and Switzerland, including more than 47,000 individuals with cancer.
Dr. Florian A. Wenzl, an honorary fellow at the University of Leicester and the paper’s lead author, remarked, “Cancer patients who suffer heart attacks have long been overlooked in clinical research, despite being among the most challenging populations we encounter in cardiology.”
The findings revealed a starkly concerning prognosis for cancer patients: nearly one in three died within six months, approximately one in 14 experienced severe bleeding, and one in six suffered another heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular-related death.
“This new tool offers physicians valuable insights to tailor treatment while weighing potential benefits against risks,” Dr. Wenzl added.
“Significant progress in managing both heart disease and cancer has led to new challenges as these conditions increasingly overlap. Consequently, the growing intersection of cancer and heart attacks presents cardiologists and oncologists with an increasingly complex patient demographic. We are addressing this important issue through a real-world data lens.”
Professor David Adlam, interventional cardiologist, University of Leicester’s Department of Cardiovascular Sciences and senior author
The researchers are optimistic that the ONCO-ACS score will soon be incorporated into clinical practices, aiding in decisions related to catheter-based treatments and antiplatelet medications.
ONCO-ACS presents a validated strategy for implementing clinical practice guidelines and has the potential to influence the design of future trials aimed at improving outcomes for cancer patients who experience heart attacks.
Senior author Professor Thomas F. Lüscher from the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, along with the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, stated, “By considering both cancer and heart disease, ONCO-ACS represents a significant advancement towards personalized medicine.”
This groundbreaking study received funding from Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation and was supported by Health Data Research UK’s Big Data for Complex Diseases Driver Programme.
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