Central Illustration.

Does Cardiovascular Mortality Overtake Cancer Mortality During Cancer Survivorship?

Tabulated crossover point (years, 95% CIs) at which the predicted cardiovascular disease mortality rate equals the predicted mortality rate from primary cancer for the 9 most common cancers, by age group at diagnosis. Predicted cardiovascular and cancer mortality rates over time were calculated using Poisson models including categorical age at diagnosis and time since diagnosis, and crossover points were calculated by interpolating between points at either side of the intersection; 95% CIs were estimated by taking the 2.5th and 97.5th percentile estimates from 200 bootstrap repetitions. Crossover points are not provided if the cardiovascular mortality rate did not equal the mortality rate from cancer within 20 years. An illustrative example is provided for colorectal cancer. In older survivors of 9 common cancers, cardiovascular mortality becomes dominant over mortality from the primary cancer as time passes since cancer diagnosis.