Can you have chemotherapy with heart disease?

Some drugs may carry a higher risk of heart problems in people who already have heart problems. Sometimes the risk is higher if you take a higher dose of the drug. If your doctor is considering a cancer treatment that may affect your heart, you may undergo heart function testing before starting treatment.

How can I protect my heart during chemo?

Stay healthy after treatment

1. Get to and stay at a healthy weight.
2. Get regular exercise.
3. Eat a healthy diet, with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
4. Get recommended cancer screenings.
5. Create a survivorship care plan.
6. Keep your follow-up appointments.
7. Take care of your emotional health.

Is chemo hard on the heart?

Some types of chemotherapy (primarily in a class of drugs called anthracyclines) weaken the heart muscle from a buildup of calcium and other chemical reactions in the body that release harmful free radicals. Thus, chemotherapy side effects include cardiomyopathy (an enlargement) or congestive heart failure.

Can chemo cause heart arrhythmia?

A type of cardiomyopathy that can happen after some chemotherapy treatments is dilated cardiomyopathy. Dilated cardiomyopathy happens when the left ventricle (chamber) of the heart becomes enlarged and can’t pump blood as well as it should (see Figure 1). This can lead to heart failure or arrhythmia.

What chemo drugs affect the heart?

Chemotherapy drugs that can cause heart damage include:

• anthracycline drugs such as doxorubicin (Adriamycin), daunorubicin (Cerubidine, daunomycin) and epirubicin (Pharmorubicin)
• cisplatin.
• carboplatin (Paraplatin, Paraplatin AQ)
• paclitaxel (Taxol)
• cyclophosphamide (Procytox)

What is cardiotoxic chemotherapy?

Cardiotoxicity, or medication-induced damage to the heart muscle—e.g., heart failure (HF), structural damage, and hypertension)— is a known adverse effect of many conventional chemotherapeutic agents.

Is heart damage from chemotherapy reversible?

Cardiotoxicity can be defined as a direct effect of chemotherapy resulting in cardiac dysfunction which may lead to reversible/irreversible heart failure.

Can chemo induced heart failure be reversed?

It is highly reversible (up to 79\%) and generally not dose-related. Even if several cytotoxic agents have been associated with cardiac toxicity (see below), anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity is the most studied, given their frequency of use and resulting morbidity.

What is Red Devil chemo?

The chemotherapy (“chemo”) drug “The Red Devil” is doxorubicin (Adriamycin). It is an intravenous cancer medicine with a clear, bright red color, which is how it got its nickname.

What kind of heart problems can chemo cause?

These side effects, including high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, and heart failure, can be caused or exacerbated by chemotherapy and radiation therapy, as well as by newer forms of cancer treatment, such as targeted therapies and immunotherapies.

What chemo drugs can affect the heart?

What happens to a patient’s body during chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy targets cells that rapidly divide, such as cancer cells, but it can also damage other cells in your body that rapidly divide such as hair, skin, blood, and intestinal cells. Damage to these cells can lead to many potential side effects such as nausea, hair loss, and mouth sores.

Can chemotherapy affect your heart?

Sometimes the risk is higher if you take a higher dose of the drug. If your doctor is considering a cancer treatment that may affect your heart, you may undergo heart function testing before starting treatment. If you have a preexisting heart condition, such as cardiomyopathy, your doctor might suggest a different type of chemotherapy.

What heart-related problems can happen with cancer treatments?

Examples of heart-related problems that can happen with cancer treatments include: 1 Weakening of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy) 2 Heart rhythm problems (arrhythmia) 3 Heart attack 4 Stroke 5 High blood pressure 6 Blood clots More

What are the possible side effects of chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy side effects may increase the risk of heart disease, including weakening of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy) and rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias). Certain types of chemotherapy also may increase the risk of heart attack.

Will I need heart monitoring during cancer treatment?

You may need periodic heart monitoring during treatment, depending on the type of chemotherapy you receive. Monitoring might continue after treatment, too. Cancer doctors (oncologists) and heart doctors (cardiologists) sometimes work together to provide care for people who have a risk of heart problems during and after cancer treatment.