Shaping the future of cardio-oncology: insights from ESC Cardio-Oncology 2026 and beyond

From major gaps in cardio-oncology training to emerging evidence on cardioprotective therapies, ESC Cardio-Oncology 2026 showcased the rapid evolution of the speciality. Here, Andrea Porter explores key messages from the conference and considers how broader initiatives, such as the CARDIOCARE project, are helping to shape the future of cardiovascular care for patients with cancer. As cancer survival rates continue to improve, preventing and managing cardiovascular complications has become an increasingly important aspect of patient care. Reflecting this shift, European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Cardio-Oncology 2026 brought together a diverse range of specialists to address one of medicine’s most pressing challenges: ensuring patients receive effective cancer treatment while minimising cardiovascular harm . Held in Vienna and organised by the ESC Council of Cardio-Oncology, the meeting highlighted advances in cardiovascular risk assessment, prevention of treatment-related toxicity and multidisciplinary care, while also drawing attention to significant gaps in training and service provision. Collaboration at the heart of cardio-oncology A recurring theme throughout the congress was the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. As cancer treatments become more complex and survival outcomes improve, patients increasingly require coordinated care involving multiple specialties before, during and after treatment. Dr Teresa López-Fernández, chair of the ESC Council of Cardio-Oncology, conference co-chair and head of the Cardio-Oncology Unit at La Paz University Hospital in Madrid, Spain, emphasised the central role of collaboration in improving patient outcomes. ‘Cardio-oncology aims to help patients receive the most effective cancer treatment as safely as possible, by preventing, detecting and managing cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular complications during cancer therapy and throughout survivorship,’ she said. ‘Interdisciplinary collaboration is at the heart of cardio-oncology. By bringing together experts from different fields, we can improve patient outcomes and advance the science of cardiovascular care in patients with cancer.’ The conference programme reflected this philosophy, combining expertise from cardiology, medical oncology, haematology, radiation oncology, cardiac imaging and nursing to explore practical approaches to managing cardiovascular complications across the cancer pathway. The meeting also highlighted the breadth of contemporary cardio-oncology, spanning cardiovascular risk assessment, prevention and treatment of cardiotoxicity, survivorship, imaging, biomarkers and emerging research areas. Together, these themes reinforced the increasingly multidisciplinary nature of the speciality and the need for integrated care pathways. Survey reveals major training gaps While cardio-oncology continues to expand rapidly, one presentation highlighted concerns about whether healthcare professionals are receiving the training needed to meet growing demand in the field. An international survey involving 398 respondents from 63 countries revealed substantial gaps in cardio-oncology education despite the speciality’s increasing clinical importance. Most respondents were cardiologists, although professionals from a range of disciplines involved in cardio-oncology care also participated. Only 10% of respondents reported receiving appropriate training during medical school, while 17% had undertaken training during residency. Furthermore, 87% said structured cardio-oncology programmes were unavailable at their institutions. Participants identified cardiovascular risk assessment, prevention of cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity and management of cardiovascular complications as priority areas for education. Presenting the findings, Dr Matteo Camilli, cardiologist at Agostino Gemelli IRCCS University Hospital and the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome, Italy, said: ‘The survey identified profound gaps in cardio-oncology education during medical school and residency and in structured institutional programmes.’ He added: ‘Improving cardio-oncology education is a must – across all stages of medical training and all specialities involved – to enable prevention and early management of cardiovascular complications in patients with cancer.’ The survey also highlighted the potential role of the ESC Core Curriculum for Cardio-Oncology and ESC Guidelines on cardio-oncology in supporting future educational initiatives and the standardisation of training. For healthcare systems seeking to expand cardio-oncology services, the findings suggested that workforce development remains a significant challenge, alongside the growing need for structured educational pathways to equip clinicians across specialities with the skills required to manage increasingly complex patients. New evidence on cardioprotective therapies Protecting the heart during cancer treatment was another major focus of the meeting, with researchers from the Netherlands presenting a meta-analysis on the subject. Explaining the rationale behind the study, medical student and researcher Ymke Appels said: ‘We conducted a meta-analysis of data from published studies to better understand how much different heart failure-recommended therapies prevent cardiac deterioration in patients treated with anticancer drugs.’ The analysis included 49 studies involving 6,998 patients and evaluated the effects of established cardiovascular therapies on left ventricular ejection fraction during cancer treatment. The findings indicated that heart failure therapies helped to preserve cardiac function, with combination therapy involving renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitors and beta-blockers demonstrating particularly favourable effects. As the use of potentially cardiotoxic therapies continues to expand across oncology, these results add to a growing body of evidence supporting proactive cardiovascular management alongside cancer treatment. The findings are particularly relevant for ongoing efforts to help patients continue receiving effective anticancer therapies while minimising cardiovascular complications that may compromise treatment delivery or long-term health outcomes. However, the researchers also emphasised the need for further prospective studies to strengthen the evidence base and help to inform future recommendations. CARDIOCARE advances personalised prevention While not part of the ESC Cardio-Oncology 2026 scientific programme, recent progress from the CARDIOCARE project illustrated how the field continues to evolve beyond the conference setting. The EU-funded initiative focuses on women aged over 65 years with breast cancer who are at risk of treatment-related cardiotoxicity. The project brought together cardiologists, oncologists, psychologists, molecular biologists, bioinformaticians, computer scientists and biomedical engineers from seven European countries to develop more personalised approaches to cardio-oncology care. In May 2026, the consortium reported advances in artificial intelligence (AI)-powered risk prediction, digital health tools and biomarker discovery. Drawing on data from more than 2,200 patients, researchers developed dedicated applications to monitor physical and mental health and quality of life, while also advancing AI-based models designed to predict cardiotoxicity within three months and one year of starting breast cancer treatment . The project has also identified prognostic biomarkers associated with cardiotoxicity risk, including microbiome signatures linked to an increased likelihood of heart damage during chemotherapy. Commenting on the project’s progress, Dr Georgia Karanasiou, CARDIOCARE project coordination manager at the University of Ioannina, Greece, said: ‘One of the most impressive elements has been the willingness of elderly patients, many aged over 70 years, to use wearable technologies and apps, actively participating in their own care pathway. This challenges long-held assumptions about technology adoption in older populations. ‘Also impressive is how healthcare providers across countries involved in CARDIOCARE have been receptive to integrating these tools into clinical practice when supported by robust evidence and actionable insights.’ The project reflects the growing emphasis on personalised risk prediction, digital health technologies, and proactive cardiovascular monitoring, which are increasingly shaping the future of cardio-oncology. What might this mean for clinical practice? Taken together, the themes emerging from ESC Cardio-Oncology 2026 and initiatives such as CARDIOCARE highlight a speciality that is maturing rapidly. The conference demonstrated a growing recognition that cardiovascular health must be considered an integral component of cancer care, while also identifying persistent challenges in workforce development, education and implementation. At the same time, emerging evidence supporting proactive cardiovascular protection strategies and advances in personalised risk prediction point towards a more integrated, preventive and patient-centred model of care. For clinicians, the message was clear: improving outcomes for patients with cancer increasingly depends on close collaboration across specialities, earlier identification of cardiovascular risk and continued investment in education, research and prevention. Want news like this straight to your inbox? Sign up for our bulletins Sponsored Emerging trends in radiology: A webcast series Most popular