Paaladinesh Thavendiranathan

Research Synopsis

One in two Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetime, with a vast majority requiring treatment. Due to the shared risk factors for both cancer and cardiovascular disease and the direct impact of cancer treatment on the heart and vasculature, cancer survivors have a 2–3 fold higher risk of cardiovascular disease than those without cancer. For older women who receive breast cancer treatment, the primary competing cause of death five years post-treatment is cardiovascular disease. The drivers of this risk are poorly understood and the ability to identify patients at risk has been difficult. Currently, there are no validated risk prediction algorithms to determine patient-specific risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, risk stratification is an urgent unmet need within the cardio-oncology field.

To address these knowledge gaps, Dr. Thavendiranathan's research program focuses on the following aims:

• identify reliable cardiac imaging and circulating biomarkers for predicting heart failure in individuals receiving cancer therapy
• discover novel drivers for vascular disease in cancer survivors
• develop a risk prediction algorithm for patient-specific cardiovascular disease risk stratification