Most chest cancer survivors whose treatment led to heart problems may not need lifelong medication, a study suggests.
The finding is ‘hugely encouraging’ for thousands of patients whose heart health has been damaged by the life-saving treatment, experts say.
Some therapies can weaken the heart, requiring medications to protect it.
The new study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, involved 90 women in four hospitals whose hearts had recovered after specific treatment for breast cancer.
Most were in their 40s and 50s and would have been advised to continue taking heart medications for life because their heart function could decline if they stopped.
But the researchers found that 98 percent of patients in the group who stopped taking the drugs had no change in heart function after a year, with only one woman developing a problem with her heart’s pumping ability.
Women who quit drugs also reported better quality of life.
Professor Charlotte Manisty, head of clinical cardiovascular science at University College London, led the trial, published in the Heart Journal.
Most breast cancer survivors whose treatment led to heart problems may not need lifelong medication, a study suggests
She said: ‘Modern treatment of breast cancer is a remarkable success story, but the damaging effects of these drugs on the heart leave survivors and doctors with difficult questions about treatment to keep the heart healthy.
‘Our study provides the first evidence that heart failure therapies can be safely discontinued in survivors whose hearts have recovered, with the help of close monitoring.
‘We hope these findings will be encouraging to survivors and their doctors, and give hope for a future without treatment.’
Lucy Shepherd, from Hertfordshire, said taking part in the trial made her feel ‘strong, knowing I can take on new challenges’.
When she turned 33, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and tests during her care showed that her heart function had deteriorated. She was given medication before starting another round of treatment.
Mrs Shepherd, now 39, said: ‘It was difficult to live beyond my cancer treatment because no one could tell me whether to stop or continue taking heart medicine.
‘Being part of the trial and having the opportunity to come off heart medication has definitely improved my life. I’m still on hormone therapy, but I no longer live with the anxiety I once had. It helped me to trust my body again.’
The women in the trial will be followed over the next five years to monitor their heart health.
Dr. Sonya Babu-Narayan from the British Heart Foundation said: ‘These findings will be hugely encouraging for the thousands of survivors… The study results give hope that many women will be able to safely stop taking medicines once their hearts have recovered.’
She added: ‘More research is needed and the women will be followed for longer, but in the meantime this is good news for this group of breast cancer survivors.’
