PR contact: Tracey Benjamini
732-294-7090EmailFREEHOLD, NJ, April 15, 2026 – Atlantic Health announced the expansion of the system’s Cardio-Oncology program to the Statesir Cancer Center at Atlantic Health CentraState Medical Center, benefitting cancer patients and survivors in Central New Jersey.
Thanks to improved therapies and early detection, the number of cancer survivors continues to grow each year, but highly effective treatment regimens for some of the most common cancers may carry potential cardiovascular side effects. In fact, research shows adult survivors of cancer have a 42% greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease than people without cancer.
“Cardio-Oncology is an essential part of delivering comprehensive cancer care,” said Alexander Itskovich, MD, medical director of the Statesir Cancer Center at Atlantic Health CentraState Medical Center. “As cancer treatments continue to advance, it’s critical that we stay vigilant about protecting patients’ heart health by treating and preventing cardiovascular complications that may be caused by therapies like chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation. Additionally, it’s important to understand how cancer treatment affects patients who already have heart disease.”
To address potential complications, Atlantic Health established a cardio-oncology program to focus on patients who are at risk for developing heart disease before, during or after treatment for cancer. These cardiovascular issues can interrupt critical cancer treatment and may have long-term impacts on both survival and quality of life.
Now a formalized program at Atlantic Health CentraState, the service is a collaboration between Atlantic Health oncology, cardiology and primary care teams and includes:
- Identification of pre-existing heart conditions, both before and during treatment.
- Review of heart function during the course of cancer treatment, with state-of-the-art imaging.
- Treatment with heart medications when needed.
- Optimizing cardiovascular health in cancer survivors.
“Many cancer treatments impact the cardiovascular system and may be toxic to the heart muscle, can weaken the heart or cause hypertension or blood clots,” said Jatinchandra Patel, DO, medical director of the Robertshaw Cardiovascular Interventional Center at Atlantic Health CentraState Medical Center. “The impact on the heart may not be evident until years down the road once a patient is deemed ‘cancer-free’. That’s why consistent monitoring is needed to help ensure the best quality of life for cancer survivors.”
Certain patients are at greater risk for these treatment-related heart complications, making proactive monitoring and care essential. These include:
- Patients who are 65 years and older when starting cancer treatment.
- Those with pre-existing cardiovascular disease (high blood pressure, prior heart attack, congestive heart failure).
- Survivors of childhood cancer or those treated decades ago for Hodgkin’s disease.
For more information, including other Atlantic Health locations featuring the Cardio-Oncology program, visit our website.
About Atlantic Health
Atlantic Health is at the forefront of medicine, setting standards for quality health care in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New York metropolitan area. Powered by a workforce of 25,000 team members and more than 5,667 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, Atlantic Health serves more than half of the state of New Jersey including 14 counties and 7.5 million people.
The not-for-profit system offers more than 550 sites of care, including its eight hospitals: Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, NJ, Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ, Atlantic Health Newton Medical Center in Newton, NJ, Atlantic Health Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains, NJ, Atlantic Health Hackettstown Medical Center in Hackettstown, NJ, Atlantic Health Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, NJ, Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute in Madison, NJ and Atlantic Health CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, NJ.
The system includes Atlantic Medical Group, part of a physician enterprise that makes up one of the largest multispecialty practices in New Jersey with almost 2,000 physicians and advance practice providers. Joined with Atlantic Accountable Care Organization and Optimus Healthcare Partners they form part of Atlantic Alliance, a Clinically Integrated Network of more than 4,000 health care providers throughout northern and central NJ.
Atlantic Health provides care for the full continuum of health care needs through 26 urgent care centers, Atlantic Visiting Nurse and Atlantic Health Virtual Visits. Facilitating the connection between these services on both land and air is the transportation fleet of Atlantic Mobile Health.
Founded by Atlantic Health, the Healthcare Transformation Consortium is a partnership of seven regional hospitals and health systems dedicated to improving access and affordability. Atlantic Health has a medical school affiliation with Thomas Jefferson University, is home to the regional campus of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Atlantic Health Morristown and Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Centers and is the official health care partner of the New York Jets.