Breast Cancer Drug Raises Risk of Heart Problems in Older Women: Study

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDay News) -- The breast cancer drug Herceptin increases the risk of heart problems in elderly patients, especially those with a history of heart disease and/or diabetes, a new study says.

Researchers analyzed the medical records of 45 women, ages 70 to 92, who were treated with Herceptin (trastuzumab) since 2005 and found that 12 (26.7 percent) of them developed heart problems caused by the drug.

That rate is slightly higher than what was noted in earlier clinical trials of younger, healthier women.

In this new study, 33 percent of the women with a history of heart disease developed either asymptomatic or symptomatic heart problems as a result of taking Herceptin, compared with 9.1 percent of women without a history of heart disease.

The researchers also found that about 33 percent of women with diabetes developed heart problems, compared with 6 percent of diabetes-free women.

When the women with heart problems stopped taking Herceptin, all but one recovered fully and five were able to re-start treatment with the drug.

The study appears in the journal Annals of Oncology.

"This is the first study specifically to assess trastuzumab-related cardiac toxicity and the cardiovascular factors that are associated with an increased risk in a selected population of elderly breast cancer patients," study author Dr. Cesar Serrano, who conducted the research while working as a clinical fellow at the Department of Medical Oncology Breast Cancer Centre at the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona, Spain, said in a journal news release.

"Trastuzumab is generally well-tolerated and, although there are some concerns about it causing heart problems, until now few risk factors have been identified among patients in clinical trials, most of whom are usually younger than 70 years and have good general health. Our study has demonstrated a significantly increased incidence of cardiac events among patients aged 70 and over with cardiovascular risk factors such as a history of cardiac disease and diabetes," said Serrano, who is now a postdoctoral research fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

Serrano said the findings suggest that elderly women with one or more heart risk factors who are being treated with trastuzumab should be referred to a cardiologist. He also recommended closer monitoring of such patients for possible heart problems.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about breast cancer treatment.

SOURCE: Annals of Oncology, news release, Aug. 9, 2011

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Counseling May Help Women at Risk for Breast Cancer Gene

FRIDAY, Aug. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Although women whose mothers had breast cancer may worry about developing cancer themselves, many do not fully understand when and why they should be screened or their options to reduce their risk for the disease, a new study suggests.

"Young, high-risk women have little knowledge about the probabilities and options for managing the cancers for which their risks are remarkably increased. Further, many report intense anxiety related to their potential cancer development," principal investigator Andrea Farkas Patenaude, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, said in an institute news release.

The daughters of women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes have a 50 percent chance of having this mutation themselves, which will increase their risk of breast cancer by 85 percent and raise their risk of ovarian cancer by up to 60 percent. The researchers pointed out that these women will be unable to make informed health decisions until they know about these risks as well as the genetic testing, other types of screening and risk-reducing surgery available to them.

In conducting the study, the investigators questioned the 18- to 24-year-old daughters of mothers who are BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers, about their attitudes, health behaviors, life plans and how much they knew about hereditary breast or ovarian cancer genetics.

The researchers found that the women surveyed worried a lot about hereditary breast or ovarian cancer. In fact, 40 percent of the daughters revealed they worried a great deal or to an extreme about hereditary cancer.

The study also revealed that the women were not well-informed about the genetics of breast or ovarian cancers, compared to those who had genetic counseling. The participants also did not fully understand their cancer screening and risk-reduction options, including when they should begin this screening process.

"These data support the need and can provide the foundation for the development of targeted educational materials to reduce that anxiety and ultimately improve participation in effective screening and risk-reducing interventions that can improve survival and quality of life for these young women," Farkas Patenaude said.

The findings were slated for presentation on Thursday in Orlando at the Era of Hope conference hosted by the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program. Because this study was presented at a meeting, the data and conclusions should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute provides more information on how to assess breast cancer risk.

SOURCE: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, news release, Aug. 4, 2011

Copyright © 2011 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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