How are heart problems caused by cancer treatment diagnosed?ĭuring or after cancer treatment, your doctor may perform tests to find heart problems and identify the cause.ĭepending on the test results or the tests needed, your doctor may refer you to a cardiologist. Recommendations are based on information gathered through: Your doctor will weigh the risks and benefits before recommending cancer treatments. People who received anthracyclines followed by trastuzumab People who received anthracyclines or trastuzumab and have a history of smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, or heart problems People who had a combination of anthracyclines and radiation therapy to the chest People who had high-dose radiation therapy to the chest People who received high doses of anthracyclines People 60 and older, young children, and women Some people may have a higher risk of heart problems, including: Risk factors for heart problems caused by cancer treatments Examples include:Īsk your health care team about the risk of heart problems with any of these treatments and the risk of heart problems in general based on the cancer treatment plan recommended for you. Many different targeted therapies can cause heart problems or high blood pressure. A combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy can increase this risk. Higher doses to large areas of the heart cause more heart problems. Cisplatin (Platinol) can cause severe high blood pressure, which can lead to heart problems. Mitoxantrone (Novatrone) and tucatinib (Tukysa) can cause heart problems. A type of chemotherapy called anthracycline can cause heart problems. The following cancer treatments are more likely to cause heart problems:Īnthracycline chemotherapies. What cancer treatments causes heart problems? Problems may include swelling (pericarditis) or thickening or scarring (pericardial fibrosis). The pericardium is the outer membrane of your heart. It can lead to other heart problems.Ĭoronary artery disease is a blockage or scarring of the blood vessels of the heart.ĭamage to heart valves, which causes the valves to narrow and stiffen or leak. Myocarditis is swelling of the heart that can affect the heartbeat. When cardiomyopathy worsens and the body's organs do not get enough oxygen, it is called congestive heart failure. Cardiomyopathy is caused by damage to the heart that makes it unable to pump blood well.

Types of heart problems caused by cancer treatmentĬancer treatments can cause heart problems such as:Ĭardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure (CHF). It is also important to let them know of any new or changing symptoms over time. If you notice any of these symptoms, contact your health care team right away. People experiencing heart problems may have these symptoms: What are common symptoms of heart problems? Talk with your health care team about your risk of heart problems and the cancer treatment recommended for you. It helps people with any type or stage of cancer feel better. This type of care is called palliative care or supportive care. Relieving side effects is an important part of cancer care. And, there are ways to prevent or manage these side effects. Knowing whether you are at risk of developing heart problems can help. Only some cancer treatments are linked with heart problems.

Heart problems caused by cancer treatment can:Īffect the dose or type of cancer treatment you receive The medical term 'cardiac toxicity' refers to this type of side effect. Heart problems are an uncommon but serious side effect of some cancer treatments.

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