The Compelling Need for a Cardiology and Oncology Partnership and the Birth of the International CardiOncology Society

Cardiac disease in patients with cancer is common and influences the longevity and quality of life both of patients in active treatment and of survivors of cancer. The disciplines of cardiology and oncology have increasingly recognized the benefits to patients of collaborating in the care of cancer patients with cardiac disease. This increased recognition arises from several factors: the aging population in which both cardiac and cancer diagnoses are common; the cellular and molecular therapeutic targets of newer medical treatments, and, in particular, the specific patient treatment choices and decisions that require careful, effective clinical interactions between these 2 disciplines. Responding to this need for an effective partnership between cardiology and oncology, the International CardiOncology Society was created and has set goals to develop and enhance our understanding and management of these clinical difficulties.