Primary Percutaneous Coronary Interventions in Cancer Patients

Cardiovascular disease and cancer increasingly coexist, therefore optimum management is required in order to treat the underlying malignancy and to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with cardiovascular diseases. Primary PCI in patients with active cancer and coronary artery disease presents particular challenges for clinicians. Special considerations include radiation and chemotherapy-induced vascular damage, primary or secondary thrombocytopenia, presence of coagulopathies, vascular access complications and increased risk of stent thrombosis. Although PCI is performed in a minority of cancer patients, it is not associated with worse long‐term cardiovascular outcomes. Conservative management of ACS in cancer patients offers poor survival rates. In the majority of cancer patients with acceptable prognosis or cancer survivors, well planned and performed PCI is probably the best option.