TOPLINE:

The diagnosis of cardiovascular disease (CVD) was associated with a more than 60% higher risk for cancer within the first year, with a greater increase in women than in men, according to a study of two large European prospective cohorts.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a prospective study using data from 221,454 participants (median age, 52.9 years) from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and nutrition (EPIC) study and 343,731 participants (median age, 57 years) from the UK Biobank, all of whom were free of CVD, cancer, and type 2 diabetes at baseline, across six European countries.
• After a median follow-up duration of 10.9 years in both cohorts, 33,390 participants developed CVD (8161 in EPIC and 25,134 in the UK Biobank), and among those with CVD, 631 participants in EPIC developed cancer after a median duration of 3.3 years and 1713 participants in the UK Biobank developed cancer after a median duration of 2.3 years.
• The researchers evaluated the associations between the onset of CVD and the risk for cancer across categories of time since CVD diagnosis (< 1 year, 1-5 years, and > 5 years).

TAKEAWAY:

• Overall, CVD was associated with a 65% higher risk for cancer within the first year after diagnosis (hazard ratio [HR], 1.65; 95% CI, 1.46-1.86), but no significant associations were observed between 1 year and 5 years (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.94-1.19) or after 5 years (HR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.93-1.09).
• In sex-specific analyses, women with CVD had a 78% higher risk for cancer within the first year (HR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.54-2.06) and a 13% higher risk between 1 and 5 years after diagnosis (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.06-1.21), whereas men had a 57% higher risk only within the first year (HR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.32-1.86).
• Obesity-related cancers showed an elevated risk within the first year after CVD diagnosis (HR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.26-2.45), and smoking-related cancers showed a more than twofold increased risk during the same period (HR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.65-2.61).
• The risk for lung cancer was nearly tripled within the first year following the diagnosis of CVD (HR, 2.68; 95% CI, 2.13-3.36) and remained elevated between 1 and 5 years (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.05-1.50), whereas the risk for colorectal cancer was 43% higher risk only within the first year (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.08-1.90).

IN PRACTICE:

"Our results align with current cancer screening guidelines and do not support additional cancer surveillance among patients with CVD," the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Emma Fontvieille, Nutrition and Metabolism Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France. It was published online on May 14, 2026, in the International Journal of Cancer.

LIMITATIONS:

The statistical model used in the study relied on information about lifestyle factors obtained at recruitment in EPIC and the UK Biobank and did not account for changes in modifiable habits during the follow-up period. Only participants free of CVD and cancer at baseline were included, possibly introducing selection bias. Medication data were unavailable in EPIC and limited in the UK Biobank, with information on prescription dates, duration of use, and some drugs unavailable in both cohorts.

DISCLOSURES:

This study was funded by the French National Cancer Institute (l'Institut National du Cancer). The authors reported having no relevant conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.