New funding for arterial health research in patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer
In June 2024, Dr. Au was recognized as the Runner-up for the CardieX Arterial Research Initiative competition alongside co-investigators Drs. Marina Mourtzakis and Sheereen Harris, securing $12,500 USD worth of arterial monitoring equipment. The proposed research was titled "Arterial health throughout cancer treatment and exercise rehabilitation in women with breast cancer", and seeks to understand how arteries respond to concurrent cancer treatment (i.e., radiation therapy and chemotherapy) and exercise training. The research will take place at CCCARE starting in Fall 2024.
Executive Research Summary
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy during cancer treatment increases future cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, with CVD now being the leading cause of death in breast cancer survivors. Exercise training has been proposed as a powerful intervention that can improve outcomes during treatment, though the chronic benefit to arterial health has not been investigated in detail. This project aims to determine 1) differences in the arterial profile between women with breast cancer undergoing cancer treatment and age-matched controls; 2) the impact of a supervised 12-week individualized exercise training program on arterial health; and 3) the utility of at-home vascular monitoring for CVD monitoring throughout cancer treatment and exercise countermeasures. This study will advance our knowledge on the cardiovascular changes that coincide with the treatment of breast cancer and to explore interventions that alleviate cardiovascular risk burden in a community setting.