Cardiovascular risks in men with prostate cancer: a pragmatic, clinician-oriented review of risk stratification and management strategies.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Recent advances in prostate cancer management have improved overall survival and quality of life for those afflicted. However, these patients continue to suffer from a high burden of cardiovascular disease through a variety of mechanisms, including both the cancer itself as well as prostate cancer-specific treatments.

SUBJECTS/METHODS: Cardiovascular disease is now the leading cause of death in this population, and current data suggests that many patients remain sub-optimally controlled from a risk factor standpoint. There is a lack of consensus and standardized guidelines on cardiovascular risk stratification and specific management strategies in the urology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, and primary care settings.

RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: We review available literature and provide a cardiovascular risk stratification schema for prostate cancer patients that clinicians in each of these settings can utilize. We also highlight a shared decision-making model, consistent risk restratification, and social determinants of health as care priorities to optimize cardiovascular health for this at-risk population.