A recent study conducted by researchers at Vanderbilt Health has found that cancer patients with clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) face a higher risk of developing heart disease after undergoing cancer treatment. The results, published in JAMA Oncology on January 8, 2026, suggest the value of screening for CHIP prior to starting cancer therapy.
CHIP is a condition characterized by age-related genetic mutations in blood stem cells. While typically asymptomatic and not classified as a disease, it was identified in about 20% of cancer patients who underwent genetic testing during the study. Using data from Vanderbilt Health’s BioVU biorepository—which links electronic health records with whole-genome sequencing—the researchers compared cardiovascular outcomes between patients with and without CHIP. All participants had been diagnosed with solid tumors and did not have existing heart failure, ischemic heart disease, or arrhythmia before receiving cancer treatment.
The analysis included data from 8,004 patients; 549 were found to have CHIP. Over a decade following treatment, those with CHIP experienced higher rates of heart failure (20.3% versus 14.5%) and ischemic cardiovascular disease (25.3% versus 18.5%) compared to those without the condition. These risks were further increased among patients who received more intensive chemotherapy regimens.
"Patients who carry CHIP mutations are at higher risk for heart complications after their cancer therapies," said Derek Shyr, PhD, one of the study's first authors. "Screening for these mutations could help us better monitor and manage cardiovascular risks in this population."
The study also observed that most patients with CHIP were male (54% compared to 45%) and had hypertension (78% versus 69%), relative to those without the condition.
According to the research team, their work represents the largest investigation so far into the relationship between CHIP and cardiovascular disease among solid tumor cancer patients treated with modern therapies. The findings point toward possible clinical benefits of testing for CHIP before initiating cancer treatment—allowing for personalized monitoring strategies and early cardio-oncology consultations.
Support for the research came from grants provided by the National Institutes of Health and funding from the Alliance for Genomic Discovery to sequence samples donated to BioVU.
Other contributors to the study include Yash Pershad (first author), Ashwin Kishtagari, MD; Robert Corty, MD, PhD; Eric Shinohara, MD, MSCI; Ben Ho Park, MD, PhD; Brett Heimlich, MD, PhD; Bick; and Leo Luo, MD—who jointly supervised the project as assistant professor of Radiation Oncology at Vanderbilt Health.
