Cardio-Oncology

Our Heart Failure (HF) Cardio-Oncology program was established with the goal of providing comprehensive care for cancer patients at all stages of heart failure. We specialize in diagnosing and managing high-risk patients undergoing high-dose anthracycline therapy, as well as those who develop heart failure complications as a result of immunotherapy.

The program has created cancer-specific protocols to screen for and introduce cardioprotective therapies for multiple cancers, including breast cancer, lymphoma, and sarcoma. Our multidisciplinary team works closely together to guide patients through the complexities of their cardiac conditions, ensuring they receive the highest level of cancer care through their systemic chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. With expertise in the management of cardiotoxicity from common cancer treatments—including anthracyclines, anti-HER2 therapies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and BRAF/MEK inhibitors—our team is well-equipped to address the unique challenges these treatments present.

We also have extensive experience managing immunotherapy-related cardiotoxicities, particularly checkpoint-inhibitor myocarditis. Our center is actively enrolling patients in the ATRIUM trial, a randomized clinical trial comparing abatacept to placebo in patients with acute checkpoint-inhibitor myocarditis. Additionally, our team is part of a multidisciplinary immunotoxicity tumor board established to address potential complications of immunotherapy in cancer patients at CUIMC.

Our team is also highly skilled in managing complex cardiac tumors, working in close collaboration with cardiac surgery and cardiac imaging specialists.

We have one of the largest experiences in the US in the management of cancer survivors who develop advanced heart failure and require interventions such as left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) and heart transplantation. Furthermore, our program has been at the forefront of studying the risks of secondary malignancies in cancer survivors who undergo heart transplantation, developing optimal screening strategies and treatment approaches for this population.

Each year, we host the NYP Cardio-Oncology Summit, bringing together experts to advance knowledge and improve patient outcomes in the field.

Our HF Cardio-Oncology team includes:

1. Dr Jayant Raikhelkar
2. Anne Goldberg NP
3. Azita Talasaz PharmD, PhD

For more information about our Cardio-Oncology services, please visit us at https://www.columbiadoctors.org/specialties/cardiology-cardiac-surgery/our-services/cardio-oncology