Nexus of cancer and cardiovascular disease for Australia's first peoples

Key Objective: This commentary summarizes the state of cardio-oncology evidence and practice in Australia and calls for equity to be at the heart of the development of this new multidisciplinary field. Knowledge Generated: Cardiovascular disease is common among people diagnosed with cancer, largely due to shared risk factors and the cardiotoxic nature of some cancer therapies. Cardio-oncology aims to prevent, screen, treat, and monitor cardiovascular risk among people diagnosed with cancer. Although cardio-oncology guidelines have been developed for some countries, this field is still in its infancy in Australia, and fundamental research questions largely remain unanswered. Furthermore, to ensure equity in the development of this new field, an organized, multidisciplinary and Indigenous-led approach is necessary. Relevance: Indigenous Australians experience a greater burden of cancer and cardiovascular disease than non-Indigenous Australians. These two diseases account for one third of the persistent life-expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.