posted September 30, 2011
Older women with a history of heart disease or diabetes and who also take Herceptin are at increased risk of developing additional heart problems, according to a recent study.
Analyzing the records of 45 women between the ages of 70 and 92 who were treated with Herceptin, researchers found that the drug caused heart problems in close to 12 of them. Breaking down the results, 33 percent of women with a history of heart disease developed heart problems following their use of Herceptin, compared with 9.1 percent of women without a history of heart disease. Results were similar for women with diabetes.
The good news is that when the women with heart problems stopped taking Herceptin, their symptoms reversed in all but one case. Five of the women were able to re-start treatment with the drug.
“Herceptin is generally well-tolerated,” says Dr. Cesar Serrano, the lead study researcher and a former clinical fellow at the Department of Medical Oncology Breast Cancer Center at the Vall D’Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona, Spain. “Although there are some concerns about it causing heart problems, until now few factors have been identified among patients in clinical trials, most of whom are usually younger than 70 years and have good general health.”
Dr. Serrano, now a postdoctoral fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, continues: “Our study has demonstrated a significantly increased incidence of cardiac events among patients aged 70 and over with cardiovascular risk factors.” According to Serrano, elderly women with one or more heart risk factors who are being treated with Herceptin should be referred to a cardiologist, and should be closely monitored for possible problems.
This study appears in the journal Annals of Oncology. More information about Herceptin and its potential side effects can be found at breastcancer.org, while additional information about the study is available through sciencedaily.com.