Cancer Drugs Can Cause Heart Damage And More
This has been amply demonstrated to me by a number of friends and acquaintances who where told that their type of cancers is of no concern as it can be dealt with standard treatments. Unfortunately, their cancer indeed was temporarily arrested but one became a total vegetable and others developed serious heart disease.... Yet again the treatment is worse than the disease particularly when it does not have to be.....
Normally, I don't advocate any drug unless it is an emergency but if you are going to take one make sure that you read the monograph your self, strangely, often even your doctor will not know of many side effects. Go to rxlist.com and review in detail the side effects also. Then you will know why generally toxic drugs are not recommend. Further these drugs deplete the very nutrients needed to repair the body's healing mechanisms. Lack of nutrients is the primarily reason for disease. When these are addressed not only cancer but many other diseases are healed. Yet mainstream medicine is not able to comprehend that nutrients are the magic bullet and not some generally toxic patented drug/s....
"Patients undergoing chemotherapy-with their immune systems completely destroyed or compromised-frequently die of pneumonia or common infections. Death from toxicity is also quite common. In one study, 10 percent of 133 patients using the chemo drug 5-FU (5-fluorouracil) died as a direct result of the drug's toxicity. *Doctors jokingly refer to this popular chemotherapy drug as "Five Feet Under." Chemotherapy patients come down with the whole range of blood diseases, such as aplastic anemia, in which the bone marrow can no longer make blood cells; leukopenia, an abnormal decrease in the amount of white blood cells; and thrombocytopenia, an abnormal reduction in platelets. The long-term effects of chemotherapy can include heart damage weeks, months, or years after treatment; loss of fertility; and an increased risk of recurrence of cancer."*New York State Journal of Medicine, March 1971, p. 554. .
Extracted from: Options: The Alternative Cancer Therapy Book
See also:
Some Cancer Resources particularly the compendium of relevant links in this post
Orthomolecular Solutions to Heart Disease
Chris Gupta
-------------------------Provided by: M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Last Updated: 01 Sep 2004Some Doctors Do Not Fully Protect Against Complications
Dr. Edward Yeh
Any cancer drug can cause potential heart damage, even death, and many doctors do not adequately monitor their patients or manage their care to minimize the health risk, according to a study by M. D. Anderson cardiologists.
"Patients and doctors may not be aware of the spectrum of heart problems that can arise from cancer treatment, or know that many of these problems can be managed," says the study's lead author, Edward T. H. Yeh, M.D., professor and chairman of the institution's Department of Cardiology.
The study, published in the June 29 issue of the journal Circulation, is the first large-scale review that details:
* Cardiovascular complications that often occur in cancer therapy
* Ways to prevent or treat heart problems resulting from cancer treatmentConducted with nine other M. D. Anderson cardiologists, the study reviews research on the cardiotoxicity (toxic effects on the heart) of 29 anti-cancer drugs as well as 30 years of experience at M. D. Anderson.
Cardiotoxicity can occur in any patient, Yeh says. Generally speaking, however, patients most at risk are elderly and have other illnesses, such as diabetes and heart disease. Heart problems can occur during treatment or months and even years after treatment.
Potential problems described for each drug
Even the newest targeted therapies, designed to attack only cancer cells, can cause cardiotoxicity, Yeh says. The following potential problems can exist with these cancer medications:
Monoclonal antibodies- These substances locate and bind to cancer cells and can be used alone, or to deliver drugs, toxins, or radioactive material directly to tumor cells.
Toxic effects of these drugs (Avastin, Erbitux, and Rituxin) include:
* Hypertension (high blood pressure)
* Hypotension (low blood pressure)"They seem to have more general toxicity than many other agents, but the problems they produce usually involve changes in blood pressure, which can be easily treated if recognized," Yeh says.
The monoclonal antibody Herceptin is less toxic than generally believed, although it can cause:
* Chronic heart failure
* Dysfunction of the left ventricular, the main chamber of the heart that pumps blood to the bodyChemotherapy drugs- Heart problems are relatively rare in the "antimicrotubules" class of chemotherapy drugs, of which Taxol is a member. However, several other common classes of chemotherapy drugs can cause potential heart damage:
Anthracyclines/anthraquinolones- (adriamycin). These agents are clearly more toxic to the heart than other medications, especially in large doses. They should be closely monitored because they frequently produce:
* Irreversible chronic heart failure
* Left ventricular dysfunction"This is probably the most problematic class of anticancer drugs, but with experience, cardiotoxicity can be limited,"Yeh says.
Alkylating agents- Platinol and Cytoxan, the most widely used alkylating agents, can produce a wide range of heart problems at higher doses, including:
* Chronic heart failure
* HypertensionAntimetabolites- (which include the widely used agent 5-fluorouracil). Antimetabolites can produce ischemia, a decreased flow of oxygenated blood to an organ due to an obstruction in an artery, which can lead to heart attacks if not treated.
Non-chemotherapy drugs- Potential heart damage also can occur with:
* Interleukin-2 - which frequently results in:
--* Hypotension (low blood pressure)
--* Arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat)
* Gleevec - which can cause heart failure
* Trisenox - which can result from fatal "QT prolongation" (lengthening of the part of the heart rhythm cycle referred to as the QT interval.)
* Thalidomide - which can produce a variety of serious heart ailmentsYeh says although the potential for heart damage from cancer drugs is present, complications can be avoided with proper measures.
Possible solutions include:
* Avoiding certain drugs
* Lowering drug dosages
* Administering drugs slower and over a longer period of time
* Monitoring cardiac health more stringently
* Avoiding giving some drugs simultaneously
* Treating cardiac risk factors
* Use of an echocardiogram during and after cancer treatment
* Treating patients with heart failure drugs"We found a profile of cardiotoxicity for the most often used anticancer drugs, but it is important to know that every patient has different risk factors that will determine how their hearts handle the treatment," Yeh says. "Monitoring and management is key to surviving cancer with a good and lasting heart."
© 2006 The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. All rights reserved.
posted by Chris Gupta on Tuesday March 6 2007
updated on Thursday March 8 2007URL of this article:
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2007/03/06/cancer_drugs_can_cause_heart_damage_and_more.htm
