Abstract 6294: Subclinical atherosclerosis in newly diagnosed colorectal cancer patients
Authors: Levy Julia A. , Nadri Maimoona , Kazemian Elham , Atkins Katelyn M. , Gasho Jordan O. , Silos Katrina D. , Ramin Cody , Nikolova Andriana P. , Siegel Erin M. , Gigic Biljana , Toriola Adetunji T. , Ose Jennifer , Li Christopher I. , Shibata David , Ulrich Cornelia M. , Figueiredo Jane C. 
Published: March 2024

Introduction: Recent advances in early detection and treatment have improved survival rates for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), and emerging data suggests patients may be at elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, there are no standard recommendations for assessing CVD risk in patients with CRC. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) is a measure of the quantity of coronary artery calcification using noninvasive scanning and has been shown to be predictive of CVD risk. This prospective cohort study utilizes CAC to evaluate the occurrence of subclinical atherosclerosis at the time of CRC diagnosis and the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Methods: The ColoCare Study is a prospective cohort study across six U.S. and European sites. Data from one of the ColoCare consortium sites in Los Angeles, California was analyzed. Adults with newly diagnosed stage I- IV colorectal cancer and available non-contrast CT scans were included. Electronic medical records were reviewed for assessment of baseline cardiovascular risk factors and adverse events. Subclinical atherosclerosis was defined as the presence of CAC (CAC&gt;0). CAC was manually measured from routine oncologic diagnostic CT and PET-CT scans at the time of cancer diagnosis using the Agatston method. MACE was defined as hospitalization due to heart failure, cardiomyopathy, ischemic heart disease, or ischemic stroke after the diagnosis of CRC cancer. Multivariable-adjusted Cox regression was used to evaluate the association between CAC at diagnosis and the risk of MACE. Results: Among 109 individuals with CAC measured at the time of CRC diagnosis, 41 (37.6%) had subclinical atherosclerosis (CAC=1-399 [n=29], CAC&gt;400 [n=12]). Individuals with CAC&gt;0 were older (67.0 vs. 51.9 years, p&lt;0.01), more likely to be former or current smokers (48.0 vs. 29.0 years, p=0.04), and to have hypertension (61% vs. 23%, p&lt;0.01) compared to those without CAC (CAC=0). Among individuals with CAC (n=41), 51.2% had scores &gt;100, and 29.2% had scores &gt;400, indicating moderate and severe atherosclerosis respectively. Among patients with moderate or greater CAC burden (&gt;100; statin therapy indicated), 28.6% were not on statin therapy. CAC&gt;0 was associated with an increased incidence of MACE (13% vs. 53%, p&lt;0.01). Discussion: Subclinical atherosclerosis was observed in nearly 40% of patients with CRC at diagnosis and MACE occurred in 38.2% of patients. Most patients were under-optimized for CVD risk, with nearly 30% of statin-eligible patients with at least moderate CAC burden not prescribed statin therapy. These findings highlight an opportunity for improved CVD risk mitigation in patients with CRC, including guidelines-based CVD risk factor modification.

Citation Format: Julia A. Levy, Maimoona Nadri, Elham Kazemian, Katelyn M. Atkins, Jordan O. Gasho, Katrina D. Silos, Cody Ramin, Andriana P. Nikolova, Erin M. Siegel, Biljana Gigic, Adetunji T. Toriola, Jennifer Ose, Christopher I. Li, David Shibata, Cornelia M. Ulrich, Jane C. Figueiredo. Subclinical atherosclerosis in newly diagnosed colorectal cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 6294.