Woman hiking with baby and young son

Treating Your Heart When You Have Cancer

When your heart needs care during your cancer treatment at Providence, we make sure your multidisciplinary team includes cardiovascular experts who understand cancer. Your cardio-oncology team works with you to create a personalized plan. This plan includes everything from diagnosis and treatment to the post-care support you need to feel your best. The result is compassionate, whole-person care for your body, mind and spirit.

Find a Location

Why Choose Us for Your Heart Care?

At Providence, we see the life in you. We are committed to making a positive difference in every life we touch.

Little girl listening to mother's heart

Our patients are at the heart of everything we do, which is why we’re always looking for ways to make your experience better. If your treatment requires innovative procedures, we’ve got you covered. If you need extra support, we’re here to help. In one case, the family of our patient Elliot Naftzger was forced to drive three hours for routine heart monitoring. Her care team stepped in and helped bring a portable echo machine closer to her home.

Our improved referral process makes it easier for patients to stay with Providence, the network they trust. We’ve also introduced a program to help patients get faster care through virtual visits with a nurse practitioner. This patient-centered approach is why patients have trusted Providence with their cancer and heart disease care for many years.

When you’re diagnosed with a heart condition as a cancer patient, we grow your care team to include the heart specialists you need to help you feel better. Why? Because we know this leads to the best outcomes. Every Providence patient has access to world-class care. You’re treated by board-certified specialists who have superior outcomes treating the most complex conditions. Your heart care team also works closely with nurse navigators to coordinate your treatment with your oncology and cardiac teams. In addition to your cancer treatment, your care team will also include dietitians to help you make heart-healthy food choices, as well as many more caregivers to help you keep living life to its fullest.

We understand that the impact of heart disease is greater in marginalized communities. Genetics plays a part, but unequal access to great health care is also a factor. At Providence, we value, respect and support the racial, ethnic, religious, gender, sexual and spiritual identities of all our patients. We are deeply committed to making sure everyone in our diverse communities has equal access to the best heart care. To do this, we offer location-specific services that help meet our patients’ needs. This includes translation for non-English-speaking patients, telehealth and transportation assistance. And we never turn a patient away, regardless of their ability to pay. Instead, we work harder to make sure every patient is treated equally and with dignity – whoever you are, and wherever you’re at.

As a patient at Providence, you belong to one of the largest community-based networks for heart care in the United States. This means that your local cardiac and oncology teams share knowledge and experience with other cancer and heart specialists across 51 hospitals in seven states. If specialty care is needed, your care team can easily reach the physicians with the most expertise. When our cancer patient Jessica’s heart was damaged by chemotherapy at a young age, she relied on the Providence network of experts to help, eventually receiving a heart transplant at one of our specialty transplant centers. The extent and power of our network is one of the reasons more than 400,000 heart patients choose Providence each year.

Providence is well known for offering options – and hope – to patients seeking the most advanced procedures and therapies to treat heart disease and cancer. We participate in national and international data registries that track cardiovascular outcomes. This helps us learn more to improve our care for you. Our cardiovascular doctors and scientists also support groundbreaking research projects and connect patients to appropriate clinical trials. Our leadership helps us provide better heart care – and a better life – for you and your loved ones.

More About Heart Disease in Someone Being Treated for Cancer

Some cancer patients may develop a heart condition, either as a result of their cancer treatment or from other factors such as genetics or lifestyle impact. If this happens to you, you are treated by heart care experts who specialize in diagnosing, managing and treating heart disease in cancer patients. This medical field is called cardio-oncology.

Testing and Diagnostics

Doctor listening to patient's heart with a stethoscope

Your heart and cancer care teams use many different methods to find out which therapies work best for you. They look at your symptoms, other medical conditions and overall health. They also use the most advanced diagnostics to evaluate your condition. Depending on your case, this may include one or more of the following:

Personalized Treatment for Your Heart When You Have Cancer

We know that no two patients are the same. This is why your care team works with you to design an individualized treatment plan based specifically on your heart condition and your personal needs. Every treatment plan includes lifestyle changes to support your recovery and long-term heart health.

Your care plan may include one or more of the following therapies:

Find Heart Care Close to You

Meet the Team

At Providence, you'll have access to a vast network of dedicated and compassionate providers who offer personalized care by focusing on treatment, prevention and health education.

Female doctor wearing mask, doctors in background

Contact Us

Patient Stories and Expert Tips for a Healthy Heart

Synergy at the Advanced Care Center
4/8/2024
With five specialty practices under one roof, patients experience optimal care with maximum convenience at the Providence Advanced Care Center.
Talking to an expert: The crucial role of nutrition in cancer care
3/19/2024
In honor of National Nutrition Month® Alyssa George, MA, RDN, program manager at Oncology Nutrition, Providence Cancer Institute, talks about the important connection between cancer and nutrition.
Healthy eating tips for older adults
3/20/2024
Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is important as we get older. Providence Swedish Dietitian Meghann Karch has tips on how to eat healthy as you age.
Providence Medical Group opens vascular clinic in Aberdeen
2/29/2024
The Providence Medical Group (PMG) opened a vascular surgery and vein clinic in Aberdeen in December 2023 to better meet the needs of the Grays Harbor community.