Have you received advice from your healthcare provider about monitoring your heart health?
Read more about Heart Tests for People With Breast Cancer.
Elaborate your answer with your experiences in the discussion below.
Have you received advice from your healthcare provider about monitoring your heart health? 31 votes
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18 votes
Comments
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since I had to stop HRT when diagnosed and estrogen provides protection for the heart my internist not only does annual EKGs but I also had echocardiograms twice since then as well. I did develop a-fib a little over a year ago but my understanding is that a-fib isn’t connected to lack of estrogen unlike heart disease.
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Diagnosed at 65 and was on HRT for many years. I have Stage I IDC, ER/PR +, lymph node negative. Radiation this week and next. No one has mentioned heart health. I will be bringing it up when I see my PCP in March. I am so glad I keep up with this group.
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Yes
A routine CT was performed when I was diagnosed and it was found that I have a large amount of calcification of my heart, so I was enrolled in the cardio-oncology program at the hospital. I had to fight to get in to see a cardiologist for follow-up because the Oncologist was more focused on the cancer, but I eventually did get into see a cardiologist when I presented with serious tachycardia in the oncologist's office. He, then, sent up a flair for an immediate appointment. Cardiologist has been routinely monitoring my heart with an echo-cardiogram due to the H/P treatment and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. They ran a nuclear stress test and the results were good despite what the CT showed. The cardiologist and I are working on getting my cholesterol down - not doing well with statins. :( Trying a new one this Friday.
The oncologist made an interesting comment to me one time - that cancer had saved my life. I'm guessing he was referring to my finally getting medical care and having the heart problem detected before I had a stoke or heart attack and in intervening with all of the other medical problems I have that are now being treated. Interesting take on the situation.
I feel very fortunate to have had all of the treatment I have received. It has been and still is very challenging to access and coordinate all of my care, but I am ever so grateful.
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Diagnosed at 90 and have opted for no treatment.
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Decided to go to a cardio-oncologist at a second NCI center when I felt I was not being monitored. Turned out I had mild post-treatment left ventricular hypertrophy.
Second cardio-oncologist put me on carvedilol, which addressed the issue. Yearly visit with EKG and lipid profiles (every six months initially.) Echocardiogram every two years. Coronary calcium test once (was low, so no retest.) And one cardio-pulmonary exercise test when I was short of breath showed it was lung, not heart.
Having regular check-ups with a provider experienced in treating breast cancer patients has given me great confidence that everything possible is being done to address any future side effects.1 -
Yes
It was actually my primary care doctor. When he found out I had cancer and referred me to an oncologist he also referred me to a cardiologist for annual echocardiogram.
My PCP is also the one who tried to keep me afloat with treatment for side effects my first year since I had no palliative care.
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Thank you all for sharing. Looking forward to hearing from more members!
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i would love an opinion or many on invasive lobular cancer stage 1 no lymph node involvement . They want to start radiation tomorrow… I am 6 weeks out from lumpectomy with clear margins. still swollen.
Should I get radiation … Left breast/ and I am nervous about cardiac health. 63 years old.. neg genetics
healthy otherwise… scared ..alone and need to work… Please advise.. pray and talk to me.
jessiegirl63
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Hi @jessesgirl63, and welcome to Breastcancer.org. We're so very sorry for the reasons that bring you here, but we're really glad you've found us. You're sure to find our amazing community a wonderful source of advice, information, encouragement, and support — we're all here for you!
We're sorry you haven't gotten any responses just yet — did you talk to your doctors about your cardiac concerns? Did you complete your first treatment today? How did it go?
From our Breastcancer.org site:
"Advances in radiation therapy have greatly reduced the amount of radiation exposure to the heart and lungs. Newer radiation equipment tracks heart beats and lung movement (called respiratory gating) and effectively blocks those tissues from radiation exposure, so lung and heart damage from radiation are rare today."
Breast Cancer Radiation Side Effects And How To Manage Them
We hope this helps. Keep us posted with how you're doing. We're thinking of you!
—The Mods
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Hi to you… I did it! I started radiation today… 1 down.. 15 to go…
I did have the opportunity today to ask a cardiologist who works in the clinic I work in , and his words were nothing but encouraging to me… a gift.. his wife had gone through the same need for a left breast ILC .. he could of sent her anywhere in the world for treatment and would have..but had great faith in the radiologist I have managing my treatment. my cardiac status… in quick review… he feels I am safe…. I had to persevere. i want you all to know… I will tell my story over the next couple days… and more sharing… I need you.. Hugs, love , peace and healing…
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@jessesgirl63 - That’s amazing news, thank you for sharing! We can’t wait to hear more of your story when you’re ready. Big hugs!
The Mods
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