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A member asked:
Can cancer chemotherapy contribute to heart failure?
13 doctors weighed in across 2 answers
Yes: Many types of chemotherapy can damage the heart. The risk is higher if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or pre-existing heart problems. Doxorubicin (adriamycin), Idarubicin and Cyclophosphamide (cytoxan) are chemotherapies that are particularly hard on the heart. Trastusumab (herceptin), a monoclonal antibody given for breast cancer, can also damage the heart.
Answered 6/25/2014
6.3k views
Yes: Though chemotherapy may have heart toxicity, the medical oncologist may still decide to use the necessary drugs for a patient. Each cancer has chemotherapy that works best and may be necessary. However with good evaluation of the heart with a cardiologist and echocardiogram, the oncologist can temper the dose if needed. If the heart is already borderline then other drugs are used.
Answered 3/1/2019
6.2k views
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