The short answer
Cardio-oncology is the specialty that manages heart health for people having cancer treatment. Certain chemotherapy drugs, HER2-targeted therapies, immunotherapy, and chest radiation can stress or damage the heart, so this care combines cardiology and oncology expertise before, during, and after treatment.
Cardio-oncology is a specialty combining cardiology and oncology expertise, focused on protecting heart health during and after cancer treatment.
Several cancer treatments can affect the heart, including anthracycline chemotherapy drugs, HER2-targeted therapies, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and radiation to the chest.
A cardio-oncologist can monitor heart function before treatment starts, during treatment, and afterward, especially for people receiving higher-risk therapies.
Practical steps include discussing your personal heart risk before treatment, keeping track of treatments and doses received, and going to recommended follow-up heart tests.
Choose how you want to understand this
The full explanation.
What you can do
The American Cancer Society recommends these steps for protecting your heart around cancer treatment.
- Ask your care team whether your treatment plan carries a known heart risk. Ask whether a cardio-oncologist should be involved.
- Keep a personal record of the cancer treatments and doses you have received. That detail matters for your heart care now, and years from now.
- Go to any recommended follow-up heart testing, even after cancer treatment ends.
- Keep up heart-healthy habits: regular activity, balanced meals, no tobacco, and enough sleep. These support your heart whether or not your treatment carries a cardiac risk.
A specialty at the crossroads of two fields
Cardio-oncology exists because cancer treatment and heart health are more connected than people expect. A cardio-oncologist quoted by the American Cancer Society, Dr. Avirup Guha, explains it this way: "Cardio-oncology came into existence because we needed specialists who were experts in cardiovascular disease and also knew about cancer and cancer treatment." A cardio-oncologist is a heart doctor with extra training in exactly that overlap. They work alongside your oncology team, not apart from it.
Which treatments can affect the heart
Several kinds of cancer treatment carry a known risk to heart health. The risk is real but not universal.
- Anthracycline chemotherapy drugs are used across many cancer types. They can affect how the heart muscle works, and the risk grows with higher total doses over time.
- HER2-targeted therapies are used for some HER2-positive breast and stomach cancers. They come with their own heart monitoring advice.
- Immune checkpoint inhibitors, a type of immunotherapy, can rarely cause inflammation that affects the heart.
- Radiation therapy aimed at the chest can affect the heart. How much depends on the dose, the technique, and how close the heart sits to the treated area.
Having one of these treatments does not mean you will develop heart problems. Most people do not. But it does mean heart monitoring may be a reasonable part of your care plan. Sometimes it is standard.
What cardio-oncology monitoring looks like
For people on higher-risk treatments, monitoring often starts before treatment does. Your team checks a baseline of heart function. That is usually an echocardiogram, a type of heart ultrasound. More checks may follow at set points during treatment, and sometimes after it. The schedule depends on your treatment and your own risk factors.
The goal is to catch any change in heart function early. Catching it early often lets cancer treatment continue safely, rather than stop.
When to get help sooner
- Call 911 or go to an emergency department if you have chest pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain that lasts more than a few minutes, or sudden trouble breathing. Discomfort in an arm, the back, the shoulders, the neck, the jaw or the upper stomach counts as well, and so does breathlessness on its own. MedlinePlus is clear that you should call even if you are not sure it is a heart attack.
- Call your care team the same day if you notice palpitations, a heart that races or flutters, or new swelling anywhere. The American Cancer Society names chest pain, palpitations, swelling and shortness of breath during treatment as the things to report.
- Call your care team within a day or two if you have become breathless doing things that were comfortable a few weeks ago, or you miss a scheduled heart check and need it rebooked.
Sources
Words to know
Tap any term to see what it means.
Common questions
What is cardio-oncology?
Cardio-oncology is a specialty that combines cardiology (heart care) and oncology (cancer care) expertise. Cardio-oncologists are cardiologists with additional training in how cancer treatments affect the heart, and they work to protect heart health while still allowing effective cancer treatment to happen.
Which cancer treatments can affect the heart?
Several types of treatment carry some risk to the heart, including anthracycline chemotherapy drugs (used for many cancers), HER2-targeted therapies (used for some breast and stomach cancers), immune checkpoint inhibitors (a type of immunotherapy), and radiation therapy aimed at the chest, which can affect the heart depending on the dose and location.
Does having one of these treatments mean I'll have heart problems?
No. Many people receive these treatments without developing heart problems. These treatments carry a risk, not a certainty, and cardio-oncology care exists specifically to catch and manage any change in heart function early, so treatment can often continue safely with monitoring rather than being avoided altogether.
What does cardio-oncology monitoring actually involve?
It typically includes checking heart function before starting a higher-risk treatment, to establish a baseline, and then periodic testing during and sometimes after treatment, often using an echocardiogram (a heart ultrasound) or other imaging. Your oncology team will let you know if this kind of monitoring applies to your specific treatment plan.
What can I do to protect my heart during cancer treatment?
Ask your care team about your personal heart risk before starting treatment, keep a record of exactly which treatments and doses you've received (this matters for future care), attend any recommended heart-monitoring appointments, and maintain general heart-healthy habits — regular physical activity, balanced eating, avoiding tobacco, and adequate sleep — both during and after treatment.
Questions to ask your doctor
Being prepared helps you get the most out of your appointments. Save or print these questions.
Tap a question to save it to your list (kept on this device).
Speak With Trained Specialists & Human Navigators
Cancer Explained provides educational guidance, but does not replace trained specialists, social workers, or your medical team.
Talk to a trained cancer information specialist
Free, confidential assistance from NCI Cancer Information Service via phone, chat, or email.
Contact your oncology team
Locate after-hours contact numbers, portal messages, or urgent triage phone lines.
Find a patient navigator
Get one-on-one help with appointments, logistics, translation, and care coordination.
Find a genetic counselor
Discuss inherited mutation risk, family history, and genetic testing options.
Find an oncology social worker
Access emotional counseling, family support groups, and mental health resources.
Find a financial navigator
Locate copay assistance foundations, grant programs, and lodging/travel support.
Find a clinical-trial specialist
Search matching studies and speak with NCI trial information specialists.
Get urgent help
Immediate emergency guidance for fever (>100.4°F during chemo), severe pain, or shortness of breath.
Help Us Improve This Guide
Did this explanation answer your question and help you determine your next step?
Know someone who needs this?
Plenty of people are looking for something like this and do not know where to start. If this would help a friend or someone you love, send it on — we have written an opening line so you do not have to stare at an empty message. You can change every word of it.
Your message is written and sent in your own email or messaging app — we never see who you send it to, and nothing is added to any list.
Plain-language explanation of the published sources cited on this page. AI-assisted, source-checked, not clinician-reviewed.
Last updated: 2026-08-18Next planned review: 2027-02-03
How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes. We do not employ clinicians and do not intend to — our work is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status — Source checked. This page was written with AI assistance and checked line by line against the sources listed on it. That confirms the sources support what the page says. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
General education — varies by person. Answers genuinely differ between people. This page explains what commonly varies and points you to your care team for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes. We do not employ clinicians and do not intend to — our work is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and checked line by line against the sources listed on it. That confirms the sources support what the page says. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
Read more about our editorial process, our use of AI, and our corrections policy.
Spotted a problem? Report an error — a factual mistake, broken or outdated source, confusing wording, or anything that seems unsafe. Please do not include names, medical record numbers, dates of birth, addresses, or other identifying medical information in your report.
After using this page, do you understand what to do next?
Anonymous — we only record the answer, never who gave it.
Related articles
Still have questions?
Educational answers, plain language
Free to print and share