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Heart Oncology

Heart Care During Cancer

Managing your health means watching out for the whole of you. Cancer and cancer treatment can strain other parts of your body, like your heart. Our heart oncology team is here to help.

Heart cancer is extremely rare. And, not every person with cancer has heart disease risks. But if you do have heart cancer or heart disease while receiving cancer treatment, having cardio-oncology specialists on your care team can make a big difference in your recovery.

We’re dedicated to maintaining your heart health while providing you with the most sensible cancer treatment options.

Do I Need a Heart Cancer Specialist?

You should see a cardio-oncologist if you:

  • Have a heart tumor or heart cancer
  • Are at risk for or have heart disease and have been diagnosed with cancer
  • Will receive a cancer treatment that may negatively affect your heart
  • Have heart symptoms, like weakness, dizziness, leg or foot swelling, chest pain or irregular heartbeats, during cancer treatment
  • Are a cancer survivor whose heart may have been damaged by cancer therapy
  • Have been treated for cancer in the past and develop new heart problems

Our cardio-oncology service can improve your cancer treatment experience. And keeping a healthy heart can help you lead a fuller life following treatment.

Why Choose UVA Health for Cardio-Oncology?

Long-Term Heart Care Plans

Providers from our nationally recognized cancer, heart health, and imaging services work together to offer you seamless care before, during, and after your cancer treatment.

We craft individual heart care plans based on your heart disease risks, cancer treatment plans, and cancer stage. We also create and partner with you on long-term heart care plans for when your cancer treatment is over.

The Newest Tools to Track Your Heart

We can limit how much damage your cancer treatment causes your heart by using the newest proven techniques for spotting heart distress. These include:

Expertise and Research

We have advanced training on surgical and other treatments, like MitraClip, artificial heart pumps, and heart transplantation, for heart disease caused or worsened by your cancer therapy.

We’re also researching new methods to identify and decrease your risk of having a cardiac event during cancer treatment. See our heart research.