Fort Myers Florida Weekly

Radiation for cancer may cause heart disease, cancer years later




Peggy Beal, right, a patient of cardiooncologist Anita Arnold, left, developed heart disease and breast cancer 30 years after cancer radiation therapy.

Peggy Beal, right, a patient of cardiooncologist Anita Arnold, left, developed heart disease and breast cancer 30 years after cancer radiation therapy.

Radiation therapy and other cancer treatments help patients live longer — but some could pay a price for treatment. Peggy Beal says the cancer therapies that saved her life in 1982 trumps the heart disease and breast cancer she developed 30 years later from toxicity caused by her radiation therapy.

“I got to see my daughter get her master’s degree and my granddaughters grow up. I wouldn’t change things.”

Cardiac toxicity, which can develop within days or months after radiation, often appears years later and causes heart and circulation problems. Ms. Beal learned she had coronary artery disease in 2005, and doctors treated her with a heart stent. They placed another stent in Ms. Beal’s heart in 2007. In 2015, doctors told her she had valvular heart disease, another effect of her radiation.

At the time, Ms. Beal was undergoing a preliminary work-up for a breast cancer biopsy. That’s when she met cardio-oncologist Anita Arnold, D.O. Dr. Arnold treats cancer survivors or patients with cancer who have or are at risk for cardio-toxicity. She monitored Ms. Beal while collaborating with her oncology team throughout her treatment for triple negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease.

“We followed her closely for side effects of the cancer treatment,” Dr. Arnold says. “The concept is to always try to be proactive and try to anticipate any issues that may come up and not wait until they manifest themselves.”

Ms. Beal remains upbeat as she continues her treatment, with Dr. Arnold at her side. “A positive attitude is a lot of why I’m still here,” Ms. Beal says. “Dr. Arnold is so easy going. She tells you how it is, but she’s not a downer. She’s really helped me a lot. I just love her.”

Some of the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy:

Cardiomyopathy. When a heart muscle becomes weakened, enlarged, thickened, or stiff, it can lead to changes in heart rhythm or heart failure.

Myocarditis. Inflammation or swelling of the heart can lead to changes in heart rhythm or heart failure.

Pericarditis. Inflammation or swelling of the sac surrounding the heart can cause chest pain or heart failure.

Acute coronary syndromes. Blood vessel damage, which reduces blood flow to the heart, can cause chest pain or a heart attack.

Congestive heart failure.

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