Bridge to Cancer Therapy: Can LVAD Support Allow Advanced Heart Failure Patients to Survive Cancer Treatment?

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Patients with advanced heart failure (AHF) are at increased risk of adverse outcomes during cancer treatment due to their limited cardiac reserve. Active cancer remains an absolute contraindication to heart transplantation; however, LVAD therapy may serve as a valuable option and improve chances of survival during cancer treatment in AHF patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the outcomes of patients with AHF undergoing cancer therapies while on LVAD support.

Source: The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation - March 31, 2018 Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: J. Raikhelkar, P. Ivak, C. LaBuhn, B. Chung, A. Nguyen, N. Narang, S. Kalantari, N. Sarswat, G. Kim, G. Sayer, T. Song, T. Ota, V. Jeevanandam, J. Maly, I. Netuka, N. Uriel Source Type: research