Bridge to cancer therapy in patients with chronic heart failure: implantation of a left ventricular assist device before surgical treatment of gastric cancer

Abstract

The co-occurrence of chronic heart failure (CHF) and cancer is becoming more and more common as people live longer. The lack of a structured approach to the treatment of cancer patients with severe cardiovascular conditions is an essential issue. Up to 25% of cancer patients cannot be operated on for their main disease profile due to the presence of cardiovascular disease. This article describes a clinical case of successful treatment of a patient with two competing (prognosis-determining) diseases: end-stage heart failure and stomach cancer within the framework of a bridge-to-cancer strategy.

Keywords

• chronic heart failure
• mechanical circulatory support
• bridge to cancer therapy