first a heart attack, now breast cancer

MNLynn said:

prayers
Praying that all goes well for you!

Heart
Heart damage
http://www.acsevents.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_1_4X_What_Are_The_Side_Effects_of_Chemotherapy.asp

Certain chemotherapy drugs can damage the heart. The most common ones are the anthracyclines, such as daunorubicin and doxorubicin, but other drugs may cause heart damage, too. This occurs in about 1 in 10 people who receive these drugs and usually involves damage to the heart muscles.

If the heart is damaged by chemotherapy, it may not be able to pump blood through the body as well as it did before treatment. This can lead to fluid build-up and other problems known as congestive heart failure.

You may feel these symptoms:

puffiness or swelling in the hands and feet (fluid retention)
shortness of breath that gets worse with exercise or lying flat
dizziness
erratic heartbeat
dry cough
If you have had previous radiation to the mid-chest area, pre-existing heart problems, uncontrolled high blood pressure, or if you are a smoker, you will be at higher risk for heart damage.

Often, before the doctor starts chemotherapy with a drug that can cause heart damage, he or she will check your heart function to make sure that there are no major problems. Your heart function will also be checked during treatment to ensure that no changes have occurred. Tests such as an electrocardiogram (EKG), an echocardiogram, or a MUGA scan are done to check for any changes in heart function. An electrocardiogram records the heart's electrical impulses, while an echocardiogram is an ultrasound of the heart. With a MUGA scan, you are given a radioactive substance that a special scanner traces through your heart to tell how well your heart is pumping.

If problems develop, the chemotherapy drug will be stopped to prevent further permanent damage. Tell your doctor or nurse right away if you notice changes in your heart rhythm, shortness of breath, weight gain, or fluid retention.

Can chemotherapy increase the risk of heart disease?

Answer
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chemotherapy-side-effects/an01407

from Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
Some chemotherapy drugs may increase the risk of heart disease, especially weakness of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy). Certain types of chemotherapy also increase the risk of heart attack, especially during infusion of the medication. Fortunately, heart disease associated with chemotherapy is relatively rare — and not all chemotherapy drugs carry the potential side effect of heart damage.

It's important to note that some newer anti-cancer treatments — such as trastuzumab (Herceptin) for breast cancer — may cause heart damage as well, although the effect is often reversible.

If your doctor is considering using a chemotherapy drug that may affect your heart, he or she may test your heart function before starting treatment. During treatment, you may need periodic heart monitoring as well. If you have a pre-existing heart condition, such as cardiomyopathy, your doctor may suggest a different type of chemotherapy.

Generally, the risk of heart disease associated with certain chemotherapy drugs increases with the total lifetime amount of the drug you receive. To minimize the risk of heart damage, your doctor will carefully monitor the amount of each type of chemotherapy drug you receive. If you experience chest pain or other symptoms of a heart attack during chemotherapy, report it immediately to your health care team.

In addition, some cancers require radiation therapy. If the area of your body receiving radiation includes your heart, you have an increased risk of cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease and heart attack. The combination of radiation and chemotherapy can further increase your risk of heart damage. However, your doctor can take steps to reduce these risks as much as possible