Q&A: Cardiac Catheterization for Cancer Patients - Cancerwise | Cancer blog from MD Anderson Cancer Center

Why is it important to have a cath lab in a cancer center?

As a result of their disease and the treatments they receive, cancer patients are different from regular cardiovascular patients. 

Is it strictly for diagnostic purposes?

No, it can be used for both diagnostic purposes and treatment. It helps recognize heart failure, pulmonary hypertension and valve disease, among other heart problems. It can also be used to implant pacemakers, defibrillators and intra-aortic balloon pumps, as well as perform pericardiocentesis (a procedure that uses a needle to remove fluid surrounding the heart) and endomyocardial biopsies (a procedure for patients with possible heart failure after chemotherapy, where a minimal piece of heart muscle is analyzed under the microscope).