Heart health and cancer

It’s important to look after your heart during cancer treatment. This information explains what you and your treatment team can do to protect your heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular system) before, during and after cancer treatment.

Download PDF

Before treatment

  • Do I need cardiovascular tests before starting cancer treatment?
  • What can I do to improve my heart health?
  • What tests and scans do you recommend?
  • When is the best time to have these tests?
  • Is the cancer drug therapy recommended for me likely to affect my heart? Are there other treatments that are just as effective for the cancer but less likely to affect my heart?
  • Is the radiation therapy recommended for me likely to affect my heart? What can be done to reduce the risk of heart damage?

During and after treatment

  • Will my heart be monitored during and after cancer treatment? What tests will I have and how often will I have them?
  • Will I have a follow-up plan and will it be shared with my GP?
  • Who should I contact if I develop any symptoms that may be related to my heart?
  • How will I know if I need to go to the emergency department or call Triple Zero (000)?
  • If I develop heart problems, how will they be treated? What can I do to reduce the risk of heart problems after cancer treatment?

Podcast for people affected by cancer

Listen now

Need to talk?

Call 13 11 20 to talk to a health professional Or email us your questions.
This information was last updated in June 2026. See who reviewed this content.

Prof Bogda Koczwara, Director, Australian Research Centre for Cancer Survivorship, UNSW, NSW; Prof Aaron Sverdlov, Cardiologist and Co-Director, Newcastle Centre of Excellence in Cardio- Oncology, Hunter New England Health and The University of Newcastle, NSW; Dr Diana Adams, Medical Oncologist, Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre, NSW; Tamara Casey, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Breast Assessment Unit, Fiona Stanley Hospital, WA; Dr Daniel Chen, Cardiologist and Specialist in Cardio-Oncology, Prince of Wales and St George Hospitals, NSW; A/Prof Eng-Siew Koh, Radiation Oncologist, Liverpool Cancer Therapy Centre, Liverpool Hospital and University of NSW, NSW; Cynthia Leigh, Consumer; Dr David Mizrahi, Senior Research Fellow and Accredited Exercise Physiologist, The Daffodil Centre at Cancer Council NSW and The University of Sydney, NSW; Prof Doan Ngo, Co-Director, Newcastle Centre of Excellence in Cardio-Oncology, The University of Newcastle, Hunter Medical Research Institute, NSW; Peter O’Hearn, Consumer; Prof Nick Pavlakis, Medical Oncologist, Royal North Shore Hospital and Professor of Medicine, The University of Sydney, NSW; Deb Roffe, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council SA; Dr Lorcan Ruane, Cardiologist, The Prince Charles Hospital, QLD; Margaret Ryan, Nurse Practitioner, Cardio-Oncology Clinic, Prince of Wales Hospital, NSW; Dr Elysia Thornton-Benko, Specialist GP/Primary Care and Cancer Survivorship Physician, NSW; Helen Wardman, Consumer; Dr Trent Williams, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Cardiology, John Hunter Hospital, NSW; Dr Janice Yeh, Radiation Oncologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Megan Yong, Consumer.

View the Cancer Council NSW editorial policy.