Portrait of Italian Cardio-Oncology: Results of a Nationwide Associazione Nazionale Medici Cardiologi Ospedalieri (ANMCO) Survey

oleh: Maria Laura Canale, Fabio Turazza, Chiara Lestuzzi, Iris Parrini, Andrea Camerini, Giulia Russo, Furio Colivicchi, Domenico Gabrielli, Michele Massimo Gulizia, Stefano Oliva, Luigi Tarantini, Nicola Maurea, Luigi Rigacci, Sandro Petrolati, Giancarlo Casolo, Irma Bisceglia

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-06-01

Deskripsi

Aims: Cardio-oncology has achieved a pivotal role in science, but real world data on its clinical impact are still limited.Methods: A questionnaire was sent out to all cardio-oncology services across Italy (n = 120). The questionnaire was made up of 28 questions divided into four blocks: (A) general information on hospitals and service, (B) the inner organization of cardio-oncology and its relationships with out-of-hospital cardiologists and general practitioners, (C) educational needs and referral guidelines, and (D) activities/specific workload.Results: Ninety-six out of 120 (80%) completed the questionnaire; 9.4% were cancer centers while 90.6% were general hospitals. A cardio-oncology team was present in 56% of the cancer centers and in 20% only of general hospitals, and a cardio-oncology pathway was active in 55% of cancer centers and in just 14% of the general hospitals. Relationships with out-of-hospital cardiologists and general practitioners were lacking. The guidelines of reference were ESC and ANMCO/AIOM. Patients receiving anthracycline chemotherapy underwent scheduled monitoring by means of echocardiography in 58% of cases. Routine use of cardiac damage biomarkers was overall low, ranging from 22 to 33% while the use of global longitudinal strain reached 44%.Conclusions: Italian cardio-oncology showed a growing influence on clinical practice but still has room for improvement. Cardio-oncology teams are still scarce, and the application of dedicated paths is poor. The need for specific training has been highlighted.