Establishment and evolution of a cardio-oncology clinic in a tertiary care cardiology hospital in Mexico

Montserrat Carrillo-Estrada, Cardio-Oncology Clinic, Cardiology Hospital, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
Guillermo Saturno-Chiu, Division of Cardiology, Cardiology Hospital, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
Rafael Medrano-Guzmán, Division of Oncology, Oncology Hospital, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
Rocío C. Grajales-Álvarez, Breast Cancer Clinic, Oncology Hospital, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
Sergio Cleto-Gutiérrez, Department of Hematology, Oncology Hospital, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
Alynka del S. García-Camacho, Department of Hematology, Oncology Hospital, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
Abelardo Flores-Morales, Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, Cardiology Hospital, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
Miguel Á. López-Valle, Breast Cancer Clinic, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital #4, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
José A. Magaña-Serrano, Division of Heart Failure, Cardiology Hospital, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
Jesús Salgado-Campos, Division of Cardiology, Cardiology Hospital, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico

Objective: To describe the evolution of our cardio-oncology clinic in Mexico during its first 3 years of activities. Cardio-oncology is an emerging discipline that addresses cardiovascular complications in cancer patients, particularly treatment-related cardiotoxicity. Method: Retrospective chart review of all clinic visits from 2021 to 2024. We collected the total number of clinic visits and patients’ demographic, oncologic, and cardiovascular characteristics. Results: During the first 3 years, the cardio-oncology clinic recorded 1,629 visits from 632 patients. The majority of referred patients were women. The most prevalent oncological malignancy was breast cancer, followed by lymphoma and multiple myeloma. The most common reasons for referral were cardiovascular assessment before, during, or after exposure to anthracyclines, trastuzumab, and other human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 targeted therapies, as well as thoracic radiation. In the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd years, there were 343, 467, and 809 visits, respectively. Conclusion: The number of visits increased substantially over the clinic’s first 3 years, underscoring the growing need for specialized cardiovascular care in cancer patients.

Keywords: Cardio-oncology. Cardiotoxicity. Cancer.