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Canadian Cardiologists Clears the Way for Lifesaving Breast Cancer Treatment
At issue is how to use a highly effective drug therapy for early-stage breast cancer while maintaining the cardiovascular health of the patient. The drug - trastuzumab (herceptin) - inhibits cancer cell survival. Herceptin is prescribed as an adjuvant to other standard chemotherapy treatments. Unfortunately, some women will develop serious heart complications as a result of herceptin-based treatment.
"These are women with no previous heart problems," says Dr. McDonald, a cardiologist. In a worst case scenario, thousands of women could be denied a potentially life-saving therapy. Thanks to a study by Dr. McDonald and colleagues from the Heart Function Clinic at Toronto General Hospital, there is hope for these women. They found that the affected patients can be taken off the medication and treated for the heart condition, allowing them to resume the cancer treatment unaffected.
"Approximately 25 per cent of breast cancer patients will be candidates for herceptin treatment. Of that number, approximately four to 10 per cent will develop a serious heart condition which may result in congestive heart failure, forcing them to stop their treatment," he says. These patients develop a decline in their heart function - or ejection fraction - which puts them at risk for congestive heart failure.
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More News on: Women and Cancer, Breast Biopsy, Pagets disease of the breast, Mastitis, Cancer and Homeopathy, Breast Cancer Facts, Cancer Facts, Cancer, Tattoos A Body Art, Breasts - Structures and Types
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