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HFA-ICOS Baseline Cardio-Oncology Risk Assessment for Anthracycline Chemotherapy

Baseline cardiotoxicity risk stratification before anthracycline chemotherapy.

HFA-ICOS Baseline Cardio-Oncology Risk Assessment for Anthracycline Chemotherapy
Existing heart failure or cardiomyopathy
Severe valvular heart disease
Prior myocardial infarction or coronary revascularisation
Stable angina
Baseline LVEF <50%
Age ≥80 years
Previous anthracycline exposure
Prior radiotherapy to the left chest or mediastinum
Borderline LVEF 50-54%
Age 65-79 years
Elevated baseline troponin
Elevated baseline BNP or NT-proBNP
Hypertension
Diabetes mellitus
Chronic kidney disease
Previous non-anthracycline-based chemotherapy
Current smoker or significant smoking history
Obesity (BMI >30 kg/m²)
ResultLow risk

No or only a single medium-risk (1-point) factor is present. Routine baseline assessment is sufficient.

Medium-risk points
0
Overall risk category
Low risk

When to use

  • Baseline cardiovascular risk stratification before starting anthracycline chemotherapy in patients with cancer.
  • Determining how intensively to monitor cardiac function during treatment.

Formula

Overall risk = Very high if any very-high-risk criterion is present; otherwise High if any high-risk criterion is present OR medium-risk points total ≥5; otherwise Moderate if medium-risk points total 2-4; otherwise Low (0 or 1 medium-risk point). Medium-risk items are weighted 1 or 2 points as specified.

Pearls and pitfalls

  • Any single very-high-risk criterion overrides the point total and classifies the patient as very high risk.
  • Risk category is intended to guide referral to cardio-oncology and the frequency of on-treatment cardiac imaging/biomarker surveillance, not to withhold effective cancer therapy.

References

  1. Lyon AR, Dent S, Stanway S, et al. Baseline cardiovascular risk assessment in cancer patients scheduled to receive cardiotoxic cancer therapies: a position statement and new risk assessment tools from the Cardio-Oncology Study Group of the Heart Failure Association of the ESC in collaboration with the International Cardio-Oncology Society. Eur J Heart Fail. 2020;22(11):1945-1960.