WeChat programs to help cancer patients with heart problems

WeChat programs which can help evaluate the risks to the heart of cancer treatment were released in the city on Monday.

Due to improvements in early screening and treatment, many types of cancers have achieved long-term survival rates and how to improve patients’ quality of life has become a topic for medical experts. They urge paying attention to heart problems because many treatments, such as chemotherapy, can have negative effects.

Developed by Zhongshan Hospital, the small programs, one evaluating heart risks for breast cancer patients and one for patients undergoing immunotherapy, can offer support to oncologists.

After entering medical data, the programs can evaluate the level of heart risk and offer suggestions.

“Currently, breast cancer patients with heart sickness during cancer treatment should go to the cardiology department,” said Dr Cheng Leilei of the hospital’s echocardiography department. 

“However, many patients aren’t aware of the cardiovascular risks and ignore early clinical symptoms, missing the best time for treatment.

“Such small programs can help non-cardiologists do early screening and support them to identify patients at high risk and send them to the cardiology department for diagnosis and treatment, controlling and preventing negative heart events and reducing cardiovascular complications.”

A new major “cardio-oncology” has been introduced in recent years.. Zhongshan Hospital is the first medical facility in East China to set up such an outpatient clinic offering combined treatment to patients with both cancer and heart problems since 2018.