A cancer diagnosis and treatment are life-changing and are a source of considerable stress and pain for both patients and their caregivers. It gets more complicated when chemotherapy leads to other health complications, especially heart problems, which pose a greater risk to the patients’ survival. 

A 50-year-old patient diagnosed with breast cancer showed signs of breathlessness three months after being initiated into the standard chemotherapy regimen. Her condition began to worsen, and the Amrita Cardio-Oncology Clinic ran an echo and cardiac MRI and found a reduction in the pumping efficiency. Diagnosis revealed the case of chemotherapy-mediated heart failure. Chemotherapy was temporarily halted, and the patient was subjected to cardiac medications until the recovery of her heart function. 

Naturally, a clinical dilemma arises whether the oncologist can proceed with chemotherapy at the risk of heart failure or give a ‘cardiac safe’ chemotherapy regimen, compromising on her cancer treatment. This is where the Cardio-Oncology Clinic brought its expertise. It recommended cardioprotective medications in parallel with the chemotherapy course. The patient eventually completed the chemotherapy regimen without adverse cardiac issues.  

With this multidisciplinary facility, we aim to ensure that our patients safely complete their cancer treatment and maintain cardiovascular health.