Muga Test

Hi Trinity - Yes, I got a MUGA before I began chemo and Herceptin, then once every 3 months while doing Herceptin only. Then, since I joined a clinical trial, I've had one every 3 months for the last year. Had what I SINCERELY hope is my last one yesterday.

As for the test itself - no problem. They draw blood and insert an IV tube - you wait for 30 minutes while they mix it with a radioactive isotope - they reinject it and withdraw the tube. Then you lie on your back for a series of 3 "pictures" approximately 10 minutes each. the only discomfort is during the last "shoot" when you have to put your hands over your head.

I've had no lowering of my ejection fraction during treatment.

Best wishes to you!

(Edited to add that I just saw your questions about a port - When I had mine, I always made sure to request that the imaging facility scheduled me with a tech who could access ports. That way I could avoid the "stick.")

Suemed describes the procedure perfectly.  It's really not that bad.  I don't recall the arms thing, but I may have had them over my head the whole time?  Anyway, I got a baseline and then two more.  The third showed decreased EF (heart left ventricle ejection fraction).  It was below 50, so I had to get an echocardiogram to confirm.  When that showed low EF, I was taken off herceptin for 6 weeks and put on blood pressure meds.  Did another echo and everything was fine, so I resumed herceptin.  They now have me doing echos instead of mugas.  I had no symptoms when my EF dropped.

I don't know anything about Herceptin, but I do know about Muga tests, as I was on several cycles of A/C, so had to have them.   Piece of cake - nothing to worry about:-) 

I have to disagree with all you ladies   I hated that stupid Muga scan!  My heart always goes wacked when im nervous, i have no viens so getting the blood sucked, and i would be laying in that stupid machine with my hands up, my arms killing, for over an hour!  In the end (i was in a trial) i asked for the echo.  So much better just lay flat for five minutes and its over.  However, im not sure which is better for you??  I was always a little worried when they told me not to go near prego women for a few hours after my muga.  Kinda made me wonder what they inject back into you!

I had chemo less than 24 hours after my port surgery. They would have even given me chemo the same day but there wasn't an opening. As long as they know how to access the port there should be a problem.

My experience was similar to Suemed's except they only took 3 pictures the first time. The three pictures are looking at the heart from 3 different angles to get an accurate picture of how the volume of the chamber changes when the heart beats.

After the first time, they only took one picture and then did some preliminary calculations. I was told that as long as the one picture looks like the ejection fraction is staying above 50% that they would do one picture. If it is starting to get close to the borderline, they would do the full set so that they could make the more accurate calculation.

The techs at my lab couldn't do the port stick - only the chemo nurses were allowed to so I had an arm stick for it. 

There is a short lived radioactive tag in the injection - that's how they can see how much blood is in the chamber. There isn't very much of it which is why they have to build up a picture over 10 minutes. There are two methods of getting your blood tagged.The other is to put first one chemical in (not the radioactive one but something that helps it attach), wait a while and then inject the radioactive stuff. The other is to draw blood, apply the two chemicals and inject it back in. The half-life of the radioactive element that they use is 6 hours so by 24 hours almost all of it has been excreted or decayed. 

I would stay away from pregnant women and babies/young children for 24 hours just to be very careful.

They don't use my port for the MUGA injections - they mix your blood with radio active isotopes and then reinject it and my onc said they prefer not to have the radio active material injected through the port.

They have a lot of problems finding cooperative veins so I wish they could use it.