Cardiovascular risk and prevention in patients with head and neck cancer treated with radiotherapy

Background. The underlying contributors to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are poorly characterized. Methods. Patients with HNSCC who underwent definitive or adjuvant (chemo) radiation between 2011 and 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. The 10-year risk estimates for a CVD event were calculated according to the Framingham Risk Score (FRS). Results. One hundred fifteen patients with predominantly stage III/IV HNSCC had a median follow-up of 2 years. At diagnosis, 23% of patients had CVD. The FRS was higher among patients with laryngeal cancer versus other sites (20.5% vs 14.4%). Twenty-four percent of all patients had uncontrolled blood pressure at diagnosis. Among the patients with CVD, 41% were not taking antiplatelet therapy and 30% were not taking statin therapy. Thirty-four percent of patients without CVD had indications for initiating statin therapy. Conclusion. Patients with HNSCC have a high baseline CVD risk and many do not receive optimal preventive care. (C) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.