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Heart-lung complications are more likely in survivors of certain cancers—breast, lymphoma, testicular, lung—and who received certain treatments
Heart-lung complications are more likely in survivors of these cancers:
>Breast cancer
> Lymphoma
> Testicular cancer
> Lung cancer
The treatments listed below have been found to sometimes be associated with the listed conditions (in many instances, these side effects are rare):
> Anthracyclines (Adriamycin/doxorubicin and Ellence/epirubicin): inflammation of heart, cardiomyopathy, heart failure
> Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide): inflammation of heart, cardiomyopathy, heart failure
> Cisplatin: inflammation of heart, cardiomyopathy, heart failure
> Taxanes (Taxol/paclitaxel and Taxotere/docetaxel): inflammation of heart, cardiomyopathy, heart failure
> Herceptin (trastuzumab): lung inflammation, heart failure
> Blenoxane (bleomycin): lung scarring, inflammation, pneumonia
> Carmustine: lung scarring, inflammation, pneumonia
> Methotrexate: lung scarring, inflammation
Radiation affecting heart:
> inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart, scarring or inflammation, valve damage, irregular heart rate, coronary artery disease
Radiation affecting lungs:
> lung scarring, pneumonitis, possibly progressive pulmonary fibrosis; late complications include right-side heart failure and respiratory failure
Bone marrow or stem-cell transplantation:
> interstitial pneumonitis: a group of disorders related to the sacs in the lungs where air exchange takes place; late complications include idiopathic pneumonia syndrome, injury to the sacs where air exchange takes place in the lungs; and bronchiolitis obliterans, inflammation of the bronchioles, small airways in the lung
Notify the doctor if you develop:
> Fatigue
> Shortness of breath
> Swelling of the ankles or feet
Experts do not recommend routine screening tests, beyond an annual physical exam with a blood pressure check and blood work to check cholesterol levels.
SOURCES: American Society of Clinical Oncology “Clinical Evidence Review on the Ongoing Care of Adult Cancer Survivors: Cardiac and Pulmonary Late Effects”; Institute of Medicine, “From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor: Lost in Transition”
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