Leading the way in protecting cancer patients’ hearts

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Choose an expert who is part of our Cardio-Oncology Program.

MedStar Health Cardio-Oncology Program Director
View Dr. Ana Barac’s Profile

or

Baltimore Cardio-Oncology Program
View Dr. Tolulope Adesiyun Agunbiade’s Profile

Our cardio-oncology program is led by cardiologists trained to evaluate and treat people who have heart disease or may develop heart disease before, during and after their course of treatment for cancer. Some cancer treatments, including radiation therapy and chemotherapy, can worsen or even cause heart problems.

Our cardio-oncology program is among the nation’s leaders. It was the first of its kind in the greater Baltimore/Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. We are dedicated to improving cardiovascular outcomes for cancer survivors.

Our cardio-oncology program aims to:

  • Offer advice and direction for people with existing heart disease or at risk of developing heart disease before cancer therapy begins
  • Monitor people before and during cancer therapy to identify any heart complications and any cardiac toxic side effects from cancer treatments earlier
  • Prevent or reduce further heart damage—and, when possible, reverse it
  • Screen for any heart complications after cancer therapy is completed
  • Provide advice for lifestyle changes to help reduce the risk of heart disease and to maintain health
  • Eliminate heart disease as a barrier to effective cancer treatment
  • Better understand cardiac issues in patients with cancer by participating in research studies

Ezequiel Molina, MD, cardiac surgeon, Ana Barac, MD, PhD, cardio-oncologist, and Joseph Catlett, MD, oncologist, teamed up to provide successful care for cardio-oncology patient Estela Escobar. Escobar was originally diagnosed elsewhere with a life-threatening cardiac sarcoma, but Dr. Barac recognized that the tumor on her heart might be another type of cancer – one that responds better to chemotherapy. Together, the team determined that Escobar had a very rare cardiac lymphoma. She was properly treated and was cancer-free within six months.

Our specialized cardiologists work side by side with oncologists to discuss patients’ heart function and develop a specialized treatment plan to prevent and minimize heart risks without interfering with cancer treatment.

We use advanced imaging to get a full view of patients’ heart function and give us critical real-time information to evaluate their risk of developing a heart condition while undergoing cancer treatment. These tests include:

Meet the MedStar Health Cardio-Oncology Team

Washington Region

Ana Barac, MD, PhD, MedStar Health Cardio-Oncology Program Director
MedStar Washington Hospital Center

Ian Chang, MD, Cardiologist
MedStar Washington Hospital Center

Rachel Barish, NP, Cardiology Nurse Practitioner
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital

Lan Phan, RN, Cardio-Oncology Nurse Navigator
MedStar Washington Hospital Center

Baltimore Region
Toluope Adesiyun Agunbiade, MD, Baltimore Cardio-Oncology Program Director
MedStar Union Memorial Hospital

Mansoor Mozayan, MD, Cardiologist
MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center

Sriram Padmanabhan, MD, Cardiologist
MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center

For referring physicians: Please contact us by calling 202-360-6367 in the Washington, D.C., region or 877-452-0725 in the Baltimore region or emailing [email protected].

Our cardiology and oncology experts perform critical research into why certain cancer treatments compromise heart function as well as how to prevent heart damage while undergoing these cancer treatments. Our Cardio-Oncology Program is building a confidential database of patients, their cancer treatments and their heart complications so we can help current and future patients and design less-heart-toxic cancer drugs.

“Moving Cardiovascular Care Forward” Capabilities, Performance, Outcomes: 2019 – 2020

Discover how our commitment to teamwork, transparency, and innovation leads to the best possible results for our patients.

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Cardio-Oncology Scientific Publications

Low-Fat Dietary Pattern and Cancer Mortality in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Randomized Controlled Trial. Chlebowski RT, Anderson GL, Manson JE, Prentice RL, Aragaki AK, Snetselaar L, Beresford SAA, Kuller LH, Johnson K, Lane D, Luo J, Rohan TE, Jiao L, Barac A, Womack C, Coday M, Datta M, Thomson CA.

Assessing cardiac safety in oncology drug development. Seltzer JH, Gintant G, Amiri-Kordestani L, Singer J, Koplowitz LP, Moslehi JJ, Barac A, Yu AF.Am Heart J. 2019 Aug;214:125-133. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2019.04.010. Epub 2019 May 4. Review. No abstract

Lessons From Primary Cardiac Prevention Trials During Trastuzumab Therapy: End of One Size Fits All.  Barac A1, Blaes A2, Lynce F3.

Preparing the Cardiovascular Workforce to Care for Oncology Patients: JACC Review Topic of the Week. Hayek SS, Ganatra S, Lenneman C, Scherrer-Crosbie M, Leja M, Lenihan DJ, Yang E, Ryan TD, Liu J, Carver J, Mousavi N, O’Quinn R, Arnold A, Banchs J, Barac A, Ky B.

Cardio-Oncology Rehabilitation to Manage Cardiovascular Outcomes in Cancer Patients and Survivors: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Gilchrist SC, Barac A, Ades PA, Alfano CM, Franklin BA, Jones LW, La Gerche A, Ligibel JA, Lopez G, Madan K, Oeffinger KC, Salamone J, Scott JM, Squires RW, Thomas RJ, Treat-Jacobson DJ, Wright JS; American Heart Association Exercise, Cardiac Rehabilitation, and Secondary Prevention Committee of the Council on Clinical Cardiology; Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; and Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease.

Connections Between Clonal Hematopoiesis, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer: A Review.  Calvillo-Argüelles O, Jaiswal S, Shlush LI, Moslehi JJ, Schimmer A, Barac A, Thavendiranathan P.

Targeting Barriers of Systems of Care in a Growing Multi-disciplinary Field.  Agunbiade TA, Ottaviano Y, Goswami D, Ruiz G, Barac A.

Quo Vadis Trastuzumab?: Navigating Cardiac Safety Risk Estimates With Complex Cancer Treatments. Barac A.

Cardio-Oncology: Vascular and Metabolic Perspectives: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.  Campia U, Moslehi JJ, Amiri-Kordestani L, Barac A, Beckman JA, Chism DD, Cohen P, Groarke JD, Herrmann J, Reilly CM, Weintraub NL.

Management of Cardiovascular Disease in Women With Breast Cancer. Barish R, Lynce F, Unger K, Barac A.

Aromatase inhibitor and tamoxifen use and the risk of venous thromboembolism in breast cancer survivors. Xu X1, Chlebowski RT2,3, Shi J1, Barac A4,5, Haque R6.

Usefulness of Malignancy as a Predictor of WorseIn-Hospital Outcomes in Patients With Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy. Zaghlol R, Kashyap K, Al-Shbool G, Basyal B, Desale S, Campia U, Barac A.

Ibrutinib-Associated Atrial Fibrillation. Ganatra S, Sharma A, Shah S, Chaudhry GM, Martin DT, Neilan TG, Mahmood SS, Barac A, Groarke JD, Hayek SS, Dani S, Venesy D, Patten R, Nohria A.

Frequency of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy in Adult Patients Receiving Chemotherapy (from a 5-Year Nationwide Inpatient Study). Desai R, Abbas SA, Goyal H, Durairaj A, Fong HK, Hung O, Sachdeva R, Barac A, Yusuf SW, Kumar G.

Contemporary Role of Echocardiography for Clinical Decision Making in Patients During and After Cancer Therapy. Liu J, Banchs J, Mousavi N, Plana JC, Scherrer-Crosbie M, Thavendiranathan P, Barac A.

Association of APOL1 With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction in Postmenopausal African American Women. Franceschini N, Kopp JB, Barac A, Martin LW, Li Y, Qian H, Reiner AP, Pollak M, Wallace RB, Rosamond WD, Winkler CA.

Autoimmune Myocarditis Caused by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Treated With Antithymocyte Globulin. Jain V, Mohebtash M, Rodrigo ME, Ruiz G, Atkins MB, Barac A.

Optimal Treatment of Stage B Heart Failure in Cardio-Oncology?: The Promise of Strain. Barac A.

Cardiovascular Disease and Breast Cancer: Where These Entities Intersect: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Mehta LS, Watson KE, Barac A, Beckie TM, Bittner V, Cruz-Flores S, Dent S, Kondapalli L, Ky B, Okwuosa T, Piña IL, Volgman AS; American Heart Association Cardiovascular Disease in Women and Special Populations Committee of the Council on Clinical Cardiology; Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; and Council on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research.

Left Ventricular Dysfunction in Cancer Treatment: Is it Relevant? Kenigsberg B, Wellstein A, Barac A.

Cardiometabolic risk factors and survival after breast cancer in the Women’s Health Initiative. Simon MS, Beebe-Dimmer JL, Hastert TA, Manson JE, Cespedes Feliciano EM, Neuhouser ML, Ho GYF, Freudenheim JL, Strickler H, Ruterbusch J, Barac A, Chlebowski R, Caan B.

Cardiovascular Complications Associated With Novel Cancer Immunotherapies. Jain V, Bahia J, Mohebtash M, Barac A.

Good News, Bad News, but Not Fake News. Plana JC, Barac A.

SAFE-HEaRt: Rationale and Design of a Pilot Study Investigating Cardiac Safety of HER2 Targeted Therapy in Patients with HER2-Positive Breast Cancer and Reduced Left Ventricular Function. Lynce F, Barac A, Tan MT, Asch FM, Smith KL, Dang C, Isaacs C, Swain SM.

Cardio-oncology Related to Heart Failure: Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Target-Based Therapy. Kenigsberg B, Jain V, Barac A.

Cardiovascular risk and communication among early stage breast cancer survivors. Christian AH, O’Malley D, Barac A, Miller SM, Hudson SV.

Risks of Serious Toxicities from Intermittent versus Continuous Androgen Deprivation Therapy for   Advanced Prostate Cancer: A Population Based Study. Tsai HT, Pfeiffer RM, Philips GK, Barac A, Fu AZ, Penson DF, Zhou Y, Potosky AL.

Prevention and Monitoring of Cardiac Dysfunction in Survivors of Adult Cancers: American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline. Armenian SH, Lacchetti C, Barac A, Carver J, Constine LS, Denduluri N, Dent S, Douglas PS, Durand JB, Ewer M, Fabian C, Hudson M, Jessup M, Jones LW, Ky B, Mayer EL, Moslehi J, Oeffinger K, Ray K, Ruddy K, Lenihan D.

Cardiac Protection in HER2-Targeted Treatment: How Should We Measure New Strategies? Barac A, Swain SM.

Exercise and Aerobic Fitness to Reduce Cancer-Related Cardiovascular Toxicity. Campia U, Barac A.

Cardiovascular Disease After Aromatase Inhibitor Use. Haque R, Shi J, Schottinger JE, Chung J, Avila C, Amundsen B, Xu X, Barac A, Chlebowski RT.

Cardiac function in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers with history of breast cancer treated with anthracyclines. Barac A, Lynce F, Smith KL, Mete M, Shara NM, Asch FM, Nardacci MP, Wray L, Herbolsheimer P, Nunes RA, Swain SM, Warren R, Peshkin BN, Isaacs C.

National Institutes of Health Career Development Awards for Cardiovascular Physician-Scientists: Recent Trends and Strategies for Success. Lindman BR, Tong CW, Carlson DE, Balke CW, Jackson EA, Madhur MS, Barac A, Abdalla M, Brittain EL, Desai N, Kates AM, Freeman AM, Mann DL.

Cardiovascular toxicity after antiangiogenic therapy in persons older than 65 years with advanced renal cell carcinoma. Jang S, Zheng C, Tsai HT, Fu AZ, Barac A, Atkins MB, Freedman AN, Minasian L, Potosky AL.

Improving prediction of cardiovascular complications of cancer therapy: what does the future hold? Barac A.

Cardiovascular Health of Patients With Cancer and Cancer Survivors: A Roadmap to the Next Level. Barac A1, Murtagh G2, Carver JR3, Chen MH4, Freeman AM5, Herrmann J6, Iliescu C7, Ky B8, Mayer EL9, Okwuosa TM10, Plana JC11, Ryan TD12, Rzeszut AK13, Douglas PS14.

COCATS 4 Task Force 15: Training in Cardiovascular Research and Scholarly Activity. Harrington RA, Barac A, Brush JE Jr, Hill JA, Krumholz HM, Lauer MS, Sivaram CA, Taubman MB, Williams JL.

Heart failure risk prediction in childhood cancer survivors: where is our crystal ball? Bluhm EC, Barac A.