Ann Andersen has spent her 60 years caring for patients and building lasting connections across generations of nurses at Ascension St. Vincent Evansville.
Cardio-oncology care
Ascension St. Vincent provides advanced heart care before, during and after cancer treatment — helping protect your heart while fighting cancer.
Cardio-oncology care in Indiana
Ascension St. Vincent provides advanced heart care before, during and after cancer treatment — helping protect your heart while fighting cancer.
Why choose us
The cardio-oncology program at Ascension St. Vincent specializes in the prevention, early detection and treatment of heart conditions related to cancer therapy.
We care for patients before, during and after chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation treatment. Every visit begins with a thoughtful discussion of your cancer treatment plan, symptoms and goals.
Understand your cardiotoxicity
Some cancer treatments like chemotherapies, targeted therapies, immunotherapies and radiation may affect heart function. This is known as cardiotoxicity.
Cardiotoxicity can develop during treatment or even years later. Early detection is critical. With specialized heart monitoring and advanced imaging, we can identify changes early and intervene to protect your long-term heart health.
We work in direct collaboration with your referring oncologist to coordinate imaging, medications and follow-up care. Our goal is to protect your heart health while helping your cancer therapy continue safely whenever possible.
Symptoms of cardiotoxicity
Common symptoms may include:
- Chest pain
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Fluid retention
- Heart palpitations
- Shortness of breath
- Swelling in the legs or abdomen
- Unusual fatigue
How we diagnose cardiotoxicity
To help prevent or reduce your risk of cardiotoxicity, your cardiologist may recommend advanced screenings. Our imaging protocols are specifically tailored for oncology patients and are designed to detect heart changes as early as possible.
A blood test is a lab analysis of things that may be found in your blood. You may have blood tests to keep track of how well you are managing a condition, such as diabetes or high cholesterol. You may also have them for routine checkups or when you are ill.
This imaging procedure uses an X-ray machine and a computer to create 3-D pictures of the heart. Sometimes a dye is injected into a vein so that your heart arteries can also be seen. Sometimes medicine is given to lower your heart rate so it captures a better image. It can also be used to find out how much calcium is in your heart arteries. Calcium is a marker for coronary artery disease.
This procedure uses a combination of large magnets, radio waves, and a computer to make detailed images of organs and structures in your body. Your doctor may order an MRI of the heart to look at the heart valves and major vessels. It can also detect coronary artery disease and how much damage it has caused. It can also assess heart problems that have been present since birth. It can find tumors and other conditions. Your doctor may order this test before other procedures such as angioplasty or stenting of the coronary arteries and heart or vascular surgery.
It's used to check the heart's function and structures. During the procedure, a transducer (like a microphone) sends out sound waves at a frequency too high to be heard. When the transducer is placed on the chest at certain locations and angles, the sound waves move through the skin and other body tissues to the heart tissues. The waves bounce or "echo" off the heart structures. These sound waves are sent to a computer that can create moving images on the screen of the heart walls and valves.
This test records the electrical activity of the heart, shows abnormal rhythms (arrhythmias), and can sometimes detect heart muscle damage.
Advanced cancer care for your heart
If cardiotoxicity is diagnosed, we create a personalized treatment plan focused on protecting your heart function while supporting your oncology treatment plan.
Conditions we manage include:
- Heart failure
- Arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat)
- Blood clots
- High blood pressure
- Myocardial ischemia (reduced blood flow to the heart)
- Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle)
- Structural heart disease related to cancer therapy
We remain in close communication with your oncology team to coordinate care and support continuity of treatment.
How to get care
If you are undergoing cancer treatment, ask your oncologist about a referral to our cardio-oncology program. We welcome patients across Indiana and provide clinic access at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis and the Greenfield (Hancock) offices.
Get a second opinion
Whether facing a new cancer diagnosis or already living with one, you can ask our cardio-oncology team to assess your cardiovascular needs before, during, and after your cancer journey. We are here to support you and your heart along your journey.
Ask your oncologist for a referral or refer yourself.
Refer your patient to Ascension St. Vincent
We collaborate directly with referring oncologists to protect heart health and help patients continue cancer therapy safely whenever possible.
To refer a patient, please call 317-415-6779.
If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, go directly to the ER or call 911.
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