Anyone had heart trouble on AC? Did you carry on with it?

flgi

Dear all,

Firstly, just to say this is the most helpful forum. I use the UK TN thread a lot, but have also dipped into others and have found really useful stuff. I'm so heartened by the many people willing to engage with each other's stories and to help each other through the breast cancer ordeal.

I am writing on behalf of my 73 year old mother who was recently diagnosed with Triple Negative IDC.

She had an awful time on her first two cycles of AC-two allergic reactions to anti-sickness meds; 2 4-day stays in hospital for neutropenic sepsis and, most worryingly, an episode where her heart beat very, very fast for 8 hours, she was rushed to A and E and put on beta blockers and blood thinners. They called this AF-atrial fibrillation. The oncologist was pretty sure the AC was at least partly responsible for this.

My mum was told 2 weeks into the 2nd cycle that she will not finish the AC-she was due to have 4 cycles-mostly because of her heart episode. She is having a week's break and then the doctors will cautiously try the taxane regimen (pacliotaxel).

Since she has Triple Negative cancer, we are nervous re: her stopping the AC early (though also very nervous about her heart obviously!)

Did anyone else have heart problems with the AC and did you stop or continue with it?

Many thanks for any info you can give.

We are in the UK, based in Oxford

Spookiesmom

I had a fib Before a/c. Still do 6 years later, and doing ok. They watched me during treatment. Each of us is different, her drs will do what’s best for her.

Denise-G

So sorry about your mom. I had a heart attack during AC Chemo, but didn't realize it until after chemo was over on heart tests.

You don't want that for your mom. But with medication, I am now 6 years out from chemo and heart issues and all is well.

It is scary times. I am sorry your mom is going through so much and very hard for a daughter. My best wishes.

Cria

The A of AC is well known to cause heart problems. That being said, atrial fibrillation (Afib) is very common as people get older. my mother is 72 and has had Afib for several years (probably due to obesity and obstructive sleep apnea). There is a reason there are multiple different chemotherapy drugs and multiple chemo regimens. No one person is the same as another and it is good to have alternatives when a patient's body cannot tolerate one medication or another. I think it is very reasonable to stop the adriamycin and try something else.

Good luck to you and your mother.

flgi

Thank you to all of you for taking the time to reply.

My mother has stopped the AC after 2 cycles and won't be continuing with it. As well as (most likely) causing the AFib, it led to two periods of neutropenic sepsis, requiring hospitalisation each time.

She was then given 4 weeks to recover before attempting the taxane part of the chemo. We hope that will be little easier, but, equally, are under no illusions that the taxanes too can have serious side-effects.

Anyway, my very best wishes to you all

Each_day_2018

Did the doctors mention if 2 cycles would have been effective? I am currently halfway through my AC regimen and cannot handle the side effects very well at all, but I also don't want it to have been a waste.

flgi

Yes, the doctors did say that 2 cycles would have been "of some benefit", so we were reassured to hear that.

What you've done already would certainly not have been a waste.

In fact, when we started out on this journey, there was a question re: whether my mum, who's 73, should have chemo at all. The oncologist we ended up with (after seeking second opinions on the initial pronouncement) said " it is definitely worth her trying chemo as, even if the side effects turn out to be too difficult to bear, any chemo is better than none in terms of reducing the risk of her cancer returning".

Good luck with deciding re: whether to carry on or not.