Figure 1.

The “sliding doors” concept, an example of diverse outcomes based on first diagnosis. There is a risk for diverse outcomes depending on whether the patient with both cardiovascular disease and cancer first presents to a cardiologist or to an oncologist. The oncologist takes a tumor-centric perspective in diagnosis, and in the past might have been missing the incumbent cardiopathy of the individual. The cardiologist treats the cardiopathy correctly, but may not pick up early signs of cancer, thus the patient risks further progression and oncologic complications. Teamwork should improve patient life expectancy, treating cancer while protecting the heart, or treating the heart and providing a thorough oncologic check up. 5-FU = fluorouracil; FOLFOX = folinic acid (leucovorin), 5-FU and oxaliplatin; GI = gastrointestinal; HF = heart failure.