Adriamycin?

Sorry to hear of this. Genetic pre-disposition, exacerbated by "red devil" is probably to blame. I had Adriamycin in CHOEP and then again in GVD. No heart issues so far, almost 15 years later. It is still very much in use, but three new drugs have recently been approved for use against DLBCL. CHOP is on its way out, but it has not gone yet.

The C-vax has been associated with cardio issues, so take special note of your health when getting boosted.

Medical science traditionally responds extremely cautiously and slowly to innovations. CHOP is so well ensconced in the hematological mindset that it will take decades to completely replace it. This, despite the fact that it is horribly toxic (although less than the cancer) and not all that efficient or effective in so many cases. There is money in it and money in treating it side effects. IIRC, CHOP predates the discovery of T-Lymphocytes, but is all they had to combat this new category of cancer. For this reason, those of us with skin in the game are well advised to enter clinical trials. The various new anti-DLBCL agents are the direct result of clinical trial results being "fast tracked" to approval.

Roc,

It is good to hear from you again, despite the particulars of your heart problems.

As Po mentioned, Adriamycin is still in routine use in the US. It is listed at The Cleveland Clinic's chemocare.com, and is also on the WHO's List of Critical Medicines.

I got pretty severe shortness of breath during my time on ABVD. My doc had a CT done during my half-year on chemo, and said that the issue was not caused by the Rubex or the Bleomycin. My severe breathing problems continued after chemo ended, and my onc then had a heart function ultrasound done. My 'ejection fraction' (a number-designator for how efficient the heart is during the test) was close to perfect, so Adriamycin-induced congestive heart failure was ruled out.

I was later sent to a pulmonologist who did an assortment of tests. He agreed that my s. o. breath was not chemo induced, but rather because of extensive lung fibrosis caused by chest trauma that I suffered decades earlier. He also said that my severe, continuous cough was caused by REFLUX/stomach acids, which he added is one of the most common causes of lung toxicity.

Now, ten years out, my breathing problems continue, although control of the reflux has ended my coughing.

No doubt you know that Adriamycin causes C.H.F in around 4% of patients, and onset can be delayed as long as ten years or more. It usually presents in a particular manner somewhat specific to the drug, however, causing a swelling of all four chambers of the heart. Your cardiologist should be able to examine your particulars and clinically determine the cause, with little or no guessing necessary.

You may want to ask the doc to run an ejection Fraction ultrasound.

Good luck ! My breathing difficulties are permanent, but we have made progress in reducing symptoms by controlling stomach acids, and at least we ruled out cardiac causality; my issues are in the lungs.

max

Sorry for my lack of clarity in my original post on this thread. Got my alphabet soup mixed up. I think we agree that both Adriamycin (Doxorubicin) and Cytoxan (Cyclophosphamide) both can damage the heart. Which other common chemo drugs do the same?

Goodness, I am so sorry that is happening to you.

My mother was offered adriamyacin for her breast cancer treatment, and she turned it down when we learned about the side effects to the heart. I did not know it was no longer used in the US. A quick google search tells me that generic forms are still used tho.

Best of luck in your future. :)