TRANSLATIONAL AND CLINICAL MEDICINE - Georgian Medical Journal

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has emerged as a major non-cancer cause of mortality among breast cancer (BC) patients, driven by shared risk factors and cardiotoxic effects of anticancer therapies.

Objective: To evaluate cardiovascular causes of death among breast cancer patients who underwent anticancer treatment using data from the Georgia Cancer Registry

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 522 deceased BC patients recorded between January 1, 2020, and January 1, 2021. Among them, 344 (65.9%) had received anticancer therapy. Cardiovascular causes of death and contributing conditions were analyzed by age group. Proportions were compared using Pearson’s chi-square test.

Results: Cardiovascular causes accounted for 15.1% of deaths among treated patients. Ischemic heart disease was the leading cause (36.5%), followed by cerebrovascular events (19.2%) and pulmonary embolism (11.5%). Heart failure (HF) was identified in 6.7% of patients. including unspecified HF (1.5%). Additional contributing conditions included, hypertension (9 cases,2.6%), valvular disease (3 case, 0.9%), and atrial fibrillation (2 cases, 0.6%). The highest proportion of cardiovascular deaths occurred in patients aged 25–49 years (24.3%), although differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Cardiotoxicity-related cardiomyopathy (ICD-10 I42.7)was not reported.

Conclusions: CVD constitutes a significant cause of mortality among breast cancer patients in Georgia. The absence of documented cardiotoxic cardiomyopathy suggests underdiagnosis, emphasizing the need for improved cardio-oncology integration

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