Integrated Cardio-oncology Service

Cancer and cardiovascular disease increasingly intersect in clinical practice. An integrated cardio-oncology service is a coordinated, multidisciplinary programme that embeds cardiovascular risk assessment, on-treatment surveillance and post-treatment follow-up within routine cancer care, supported by shared protocols and decision-making. The aim of such services is to maintain the delivery of best-practice cancer therapy while preventing and treating cardiovascular toxicity. This review distils pragmatic, transferable elements for cardiac and oncology teams: a unified programme with risk-based streaming; nurse-enabled triage and surveillance; pharmacist-led drug-drug interaction stewardship and medication optimisation; fast-track imaging and cardiology access; and clear triggers for escalation that minimise unnecessary cancer therapy interruption. The goal for this review is to provide a pragmatic blueprint for such services, illustrated by international models and our Newcastle bench-to-bedside experience.