BC Patients, Take Heart—literally!

ChiSandy

Heart Disease is the #1 killer of BC patients

The article mentions that chemo, HER2 targeted drugs and radiation with the heart in the field are all cardiotoxic, and more women (especially those dx’ed and treated in their 40s & 50s) treated thusly die of heart disease than of their cancer or other treatment SEs. What the article fails to mention is that those of us who had none of those therapies (i.e., the radiation was only to the R breast) are also likelier to die of heart disease than of cancer, but mainly because we live long enough to have a longer OS time and will die with, not of, breast cancer, whether recurrence-free or Stage IV (whether or not NED) at the time of our deaths. The upshot is that we mustn’t neglect heart health regardless of whether we get cardiotoxic treatment! (Of course, life itself is ultimately 100% fatal).

cp418

I'm not at all surprised by these findings. My BC was left side with 1 positive node and I had frontal and axillary radiation treatments. I discussed family hx of heart disease at the time, but the Onc attitude was this is the standard of care Take it or leave it - as damned if I do and damned if I don't. Likewise, I had passed the MUGA scan criteria for chemo 4 DD A/C and 4 DD Taxol. The Adriamycin is the cardio toxic chemo. I am now under observation by a cardiologist as I have a heart murmur affecting both valves on my left side. At least now I've read they are giving cardio protective drugs to some patients - maybe I read they were HER2. These treatments will continue long after we are all gone IMO because the medical community feel they are proven effective.

ChiSandy

I asked my husband about that last night, and he said there are newer studies indicating that in patients with no prior heart history, lowering LDL resulted in fewer CV events than in the untreated previously heart-healthy control group. My PCP, who says cardiologists over-prescribe statins, said that in my current case a low dose of a statin is appropriate. He said that 5 years ago, I was not at as high a risk. Inflammation may make plaques friable, but excess LDL forms plaques in the first place.

A new study also showed that the earlier the onset of hypertension (<45), the higher the risk of CV events and mortality therefrom, regardless of how well it is controlled. It is probably hereditary. I was diagnosed with it at 39 (the "white coat" variety showed up when I was 26)