diagnosed with congestive heart failure with reduced lung function and clogged arteries after treatm

JamesW82abn
JamesW82abn Member Posts: 1 Member
in Lung Cancer #1

I was diagnosed with stage 3 Squamish nsclc in my right lung may of 23. After an aggressive treatment plan chemo with Keytruda 1 7hr treatment once a month for 4 months then 30 days radiation with chemo and Keytruda once a week then immunotherapy that attacked my lungs had to be sterorided off three times i was experiencing extreme fatigue and shortness of breath. This lasted through 24 and into 25 when my Dr sent me for an echocardiogram that showed a reduced ejection fraction rate of less than 15% with 3arteries blocked 95% or more. Prior to my treatment i had a stress test and echocardiogram and several mri and ct scans that all showed my heart normal in size and ejection fraction rate of almost 60% my arteries showed minor clogging but otherwise unremarkable. Has anyone else had or seen this? I do all my treatments through the KCVA and my oncologist is one of the highest rated in the area and also is the lung cancer specialist at KU med. i understand we accepted some risk I guess i just didn't expect to be told twice before I turn 55 you have a fatal condition.

Comments

  • eDivebuddy
    eDivebuddy Member Posts: 115 Member
    #2

    James, I’m really sorry to hear about everything you’ve been through. That’s an overwhelming amount to deal with, especially when you're still processing one major diagnosis and then get hit with another.

    I’ve been on Keytruda for almost five years now. It can definitely cause a range of immune-related side effects, including lung inflammation like you mentioned, and even heart issues such as heart failure. But I haven’t seen any clear evidence that it directly causes clogged arteries.

    Sometimes it's just the cumulative toll—treatment, inflammation, and changes in activity level can wear the body down and turn minor pre-existing conditions into something more serious.

    It took me a while to get back to anything resembling normal, but I’ve managed to redefine what “normal” looks like—and most people would never guess what I’ve been through. Keytruda can be rough, but interestingly, there's evidence that people who experience side effects may actually have better and more durable responses. Hopefully it applies to you.

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