Wednesday 24 May 2017

Chemotherapy the Importance of Cardiological Follow-Up after Treatment

Toxic products used during chemotherapy can cause heart failure in patients. But a majority of patients are not followed by a cardiologist Boynton Beach after treatment. Only one-third of women with a history of breast cancer who underwent chemotherapy were followed by a cardiologist.

Yet, products used to fight tumours, such as anthracyclines and trastuzumab, are toxic to the heart. Approximately 12% of women who underwent chemotherapy develop heart failure within three years of treatment. These results are the result of the work of the team of Dr. Jersey Chen, cardiologist and researcher in Rockville in the United States, whom he presented at the congress of the American Heart Association.

The international recommendations are clear: follow-up by a cardiologist is necessary before, during and after chemotherapy. Patients treated with anthracyclines are particularly at risk because this product can act on the heart several years after discontinuing treatment. An annual consultation with the cardiologist Boynton Beach is strongly recommended in this case, insist the specialists, as at every first manifestation of heart failure.

These tips are valid for any type of cancer treated with chemotherapy. We are entering a new era of collaborative medicine where no physician treats patients on their own.

No comments:

Post a Comment