Heart Damage from Adriamycin and Radiation

Hi Anne,

I understand completely, because coming to the boards and not seeing posts by Sunshine just doesn't seem right. I still cannot believe she is gone. I am actually trying to just stay away but I think it is SO important that women understand that issues can come up later.

I actually thought I had researched everything that I could research on breast cancer and the risks of chemo and rads. My tumor was 2.4 cm and I was ER-/PR- and highly HER+++. At that time A/C chemo was my best chance being HER+++. I knew it could cause heart damage. I just didn't understand what kind of heart damage or what the symptoms were. I also did not understand the importance of DEMANDING Muga scans. I remember asking my onc about them but he said they weren't necessary and that symptoms were a better indicator. I am still just so angry at him. But most of all I am angry at myself for missing this very important piece of knowledge that goes with bc.

It has been exactly 3 months since I was dx'd with congestive heart failure and severe cardiomyopathy. I'm on a very low sodium diet, taking my meds and praying that when my cardiologist checks my Ejection Fraction in December that it will have returned to the normal range or at least increased a great deal. I feel good and I don't look like anyone with any health problems but then again I didn't when I was in the hospital.

I just want to bring awareness to side effects that can occur years later. It has been 5.5 years since I finished chemo. While I am 51, I do not have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, blockages nor was I obese, diabetic and didn't smoke or drink.

Thanks for the posts. It is always good to hear from some friends from way back. I hope you are continuing to have good health and great checkups!

Debbie

When I was dx'd in 2001, there was absolutely nothing good about being HER+++ and ER/PR-. They were only beginning to routinely test for the HER oncogene. Herceptin was only offered to Stage 4. The only thing you could find at the time was AC worked better in preventing recurrences in HER+++ women.

Even now, if I had it to do over I would do the AC chemo. I believe it saved my life.

However, there are 2 things that I would now do:

1. Demand regular Muga Scans from my onc so if heart function deminished I could be referred to a cardiologist and go on meds before it got worse.

2. If I experienced any shortness of breath and was waking up in the middle of the night unable to breathe, when I went to the ER, I would insist they check my heart and run a BNP test at least. I may would even lie and say that I was having some chest pains just to ensure they would check it!

I just want to bring awareness to heart problems that may develop years after completing chemo.

As I have said, I am still really angry at myself for not demanding that my onc do muga scans. I am also angry at myself for not knowing what the symptoms of congestive heart failure.

This is really serious and I am very lucky to be alive right now.

Debbie