Side Effect: Congestive Heart Failure

Adriamycin can cause permanent Heart Failure.  Herceptin is thought to possibly cause Heart Failure during treatment but a person recovers from this when treatment ends. But really  I don't think they can really know the long term effects with Herceptin because it hasn't been around all that long.  Radiation to the chest wall can also cause heart issues. My ejection fraction went down to 45 while I was being radiated after having had a mastectomy on my heart side.  They said they didn't think it was from radiation but I think it was.  It went back up to its low normal of 55 after.  I think this is why they are not giving the two together now (adriamaycin and Herceptin), or are starting to not use this chemo for Her2+ cancer. I have a friend who was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer 12 years ago. They used Adriamycin and she got Congestive Heart Failure because of it.  She is not able to work but she is healthy and living a full life. She has to remember to take her medicine, yes she gets out of breath if she does too much or walks a large flight of stairs, but really she is doing very well (her words).

Well, here I am again on this thread.  My heart failure is much worse and I will have to have a defibulator implanted.  My cardiologist is a real jerk.... He said he would see me in July 'if I were still here'  I am in a wheelchair now. blah  Herceptin... kept me from dying from cancer and now is taking my life.   Hard to live with.