chemo options with abnormal echocardiogram

[janyoshi]

Hi everybody. Newly diagnosed with triple positive breast cancer, evidently with mets due to positive nodes under arm and up neck. Just went for echocardiogram and received call to meet with cardiologist next week due to abnormality. What sort of chemo options are there for abnormal heart patients? I am 67 years old.

[Happyrosie]

This has to be one for the oncologists I think.

[janyoshi in reply to Happyrosie]

Okay, that's fine, Happyrosie. Thank you!

[anrean]

I don't know what the options are for chemo, but if they say you need radiation please, please get a cardiologist involved in the decisions. I did not do that and now pay the price because of too much radiation. I went through 72 rounds of rads because of 2 breast cancers and then a mega dose for lung cancer. Wish I had followed my instincts and gotten my cardiologist involved - at the very least through getting 2nd opinions!

[janyoshi in reply to anrean]

Thank you, Anrean. I understand what you're saying. I thank God for the internet, because I have already learned sooooo much about cancer within the past three weeks since my diagnosis. I have been a psychotherapist half of my life and taught my clients to remain positive, and so, I've been trying to practice that myself. I was keeping my thoughts positive, but this news about an abnormal heart really threw me for a loop. I really have no idea what the cardiologist is going to tell me next week, and so, I'll try not to think the worst.

[Redalert123 in reply to janyoshi]

Hi there,

I also have triple positive breast cancer, and I understand the echocardiogram was to get a baseline on your heart function as Herceptin, used to treat HER2positive cancer, affects your heart.

So my guess would be that an issue with the heart might affect if you can have Herceptin, rather than chemo.

I hope you are ok and that the wait to find out more does not feel too long.

[janyoshi in reply to Redalert123]

Oh thank you, Redalert123. Yes, I also learned online that Herceptin can potentially cause heart damage. Well, I guess my oncologist believes that risk is lesser than curing my cancer, because I had a one hour teaching on my chemo treatment Friday afternoon and one of the meds in my chemo cocktail is Herceptin. I remember my dad had a heart attack and doctor put him on Coumadin afterwards. Two years later he died of internal bleeding, because he had Chron's disease. Doctors have to choose between the lesser of two evils. Oh well....I'm just gonna continue to live my fullest each and every day. That's really what we're supposed to do regardless of anything else. We should live in the present, because every day is a present. I wish you the best.

[waveylines in reply to janyoshi]

I know this post is a month old so by now the decision will have been made over the Herceptin. I had Herceptin -I opted for the 6 months rather than year. It has less impact on your heart. It did affect my heart a little but that healed but the chemo also affected my heart so on heart meds as a consequence but 6 years since diagnosis and remain in remission. My tumour was large and very aggressive so I count all my time since diagnosis as extra time. I feel very luckt to be here still. I hope you are doing ok and getting through the treatment. Hugs xx

[janyoshi in reply to waveylines]

Thank you, waveylines. Evidently, the cardiologist believes my spiking blood pressure has caused some hardening of an artery. I will be doing a heart MRI in two weeks for further diagnosis. So far, I've had two chemo infusions. There's Herceptin in the chemo cocktail, and oncologist told me I need to be on Herceptin the rest of my life. I'm assuming she means oral pills. That's fine with me as I've opted not to do surgery or radiation. I'm part of a community who strongly advocates for natural cures for cancer.

[waveylines in reply to janyoshi]

Hi Janoshi.....sounds like they are following you up well so that is good. Herceptin is given as a jab not pills. Im not aware that it is given for life as it is linked to heart damage so research showed 6 months was enough to get the max benefit with less heart damage than than a whole years worth. Chemotherapy is a separate treatment and may well be given via tablets or through an infusion. Hope that helps. Its a lot to take in!!

[janyoshi in reply to waveylines]

Ohhh, very interesting! Wow, waveylines, thanks. Yeah, that IS a lot to take in! I'm seeing the oncologist in two days and definitely will discuss all this new information with her. I know she said I'd be "on Herceptin" the rest of my life, but she didn't give me any further details. I guess these doctors figure they'd better spoon feed us all this overwhelming info for fear we'll go running and screaming out of their office lol.

[waveylines in reply to janyoshi]

Apologies Janyoshi -I did a bit of reading up and you can indeed take Hercepton long term. My apologies for misleading you! Hope all goes well.

[janyoshi in reply to waveylines]

Aww, thanks, waveylines. I saw oncologist today and you're right. She said I would be doing infusions of herceptin. She said, "they're working on oral pills of it." So, yeah, that's very disheartening to know I'd be on chemo the rest of my life. Well, I'm going to forge ahead with my naturapathic cures. I'm part of a community that says that very simple cancer cures are on the horizon as soon as later this year. And the med beds (that have only been accessible to the elite) will be disseminated to the masses soon. They virtually cure anything and everything, even regressing one's age.

[waveylines in reply to janyoshi]

Sorry to hear you have to be on chemo long term. Breast cancer care have a great online network and last time I looked there was a thriving group of people in your position. You may already know about them but thought Id mention incase you arent aware.

I know nothing about the med beds. It is amazing how much treatment has progressed even in the 6yrs since my diagnosis. Your Oncologist sounds good. Cancer teaches you to live one day at a time so I hope despite this awful pandemic you are able to line up some treats for yourself.