Some women treated with breast cancer drug Herceptin are at a higher risk of developing heart problems, a new study finds.
One in every ten women who receive the drug Herceptin as treatment for breast cancer is at a risk of developing heart problems. The good news is that these problems are reversible after the patient stops taking the drug, according to the findings of a new study conducted by researchers from Avera Cancer Institute.
The study was conducted on more than 5,000 women with early stage breast cancer. The women were divided into three groups. One group wasn't given any medication for their condition. The other group was prescribed Herceptin for one year while the third group was asked to take the drug for two years. All patients were followed for an average of eight years during which researchers recorded any cardiovascular problems they experienced. Researchers also noted if these problems faded away once they had completed the dose of Herceptin they were prescribed.
Researchers noted that 5 percent of people from the second group and 10 percent from the third group had to discontinue taking the drug because of severe cardiac problems they faced. Congestive heart failure, a decrease in the heart's blood-pumping ability, was the most common heart problem they experienced. Three cardiac deaths in the third group, one in the second group and two in the first group occurred during the study period.
"The overall message here is one of tremendous reassurance," the researchers explained in a U.S. News report. "What this confirms is a very low incidence of cardiac events, even when you give two years of the drug, which is no longer practiced."
Researchers also found that 7 percent of women from the third group and 4 percent from the second group experienced blood pumping problems. However, after stopping usage of the drug, the problem was resolved in 87 percent of women in the third group and 81 percent in the second.
Researchers weren't able to determine the exact reason why the drug increased heart problem risks. However, they speculate that the HER2 gene may have something to do with it. Herceptin is usually given to breast cancer patients who test positive for HER 2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2), which promotes the growth of cancer cells. The drug is known to kill these cells, promoting longer survival among breast cancer patients. It is generally prescribed after a patient undergoes primary treatments for breast cancer, such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
"The new study reaffirms that the heart problems linked with the drug don't increase with time and that's what is important," Joanne Mortimer, director of Women's Cancer Programs and co-director of the Breast Cancer Program at City of Hope Cancer Center said, according to a WebMD report. "There's no question this is a really important drug."
Previous studies have confirmed that women with a history of high blood pressure and those over 65 are at higher risk of heart problems while taking Herceptin.
Findings of the study were published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
