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How to Boost Heart Screenings in Childhood Cancer Survivors
An echocardiogram can help show early signs of heart disease.
Many childhood cancer survivors do not get the heart health screenings they need. A new Long-Term Follow-Up (LTFU) Study aims to learn why and find ways to help.
The ECHOS2 study will see if an online program increases the number of survivors who get an echocardiogram (echo). An echo is a heart ultrasound test. It can show problems early, often before they start to cause symptoms. If the test finds problems, you can take steps to prevent or manage them.
Heart problems after cancer treatment
Some childhood cancer treatments can increase the risk of heart problems later in life. One example is cardiomyopathy, a disease that makes it harder for the heart to pump blood. An echo can show early signs of heart disease.
An echo uses sound waves to make moving images of your heart. It shows the heart’s size, how thick the heart muscle is, and how well the heart pumps blood. It lets doctors see how well your heart is working.
Treatments that put survivors at risk for heart problems include:
- Radiation to the chest
- Chemotherapy medicines called anthracyclines. These medicines include doxorubicin (often remembered as being red). Other examples include daunorubicin, idarubicin, epirubicin, and mitoxantrone.
If you are not sure what treatments you had, look at your treatment summary or contact the hospital where you had your cancer treatment.
Can an online program help?
A previous LTFU study, ECHOS, found that phone counseling helped motivate survivors to get echo tests. But phone calls take a lot of time and resources. ECHOS2 will test if an interactive website can increase the number of survivors who are screened.
The program includes:
- Short videos
- Stories from other survivors
- Interactive information about heart health risks and testing
“We hope we can reach more people at a lower cost,” says Matthew Ehrhardt, MD, the study’s principal investigator. “The study also looks at whether this program can change how people think and feel about getting screened for heart problems.”
Who can take part
To join the study, you must:
- Have had treatment that raises your risk of heart problems
- Already be part of the LTFU Study
- Be 26 or older
- Not have had an echo in the past 5 years
- Have no known history of cardiomyopathy or heart failure
The LTFU Study Team will begin reaching out to eligible participants in August.
Study participants will be placed by chance into 1 of 2 groups (like flipping a coin). One group will get educational information about heart screening. The other group will also have access to the online program.
Participants will complete a few short surveys to help researchers understand what works.
“What we learn from this study can help more survivors stay healthy and get the care they need now and later,” Ehrhardt says.