Women with breast cancer typically receive radiation therapy after a lumpectomy procedure, or occasionally after a mastectomy procedure, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center website. The radiation oncologist plans the location and the dosage of the radiation therapy very carefully with a goal of killing cancer cells with as little damage to the surrounding tissues and organs. However, radiation therapy to the breast can cause damage to the heart, which is often in the radiation field for these patients.
Heart Disease
High-dose radiation therapy for breast cancer has been associated with heart disease for many years, according to Dr. Flora E. van Leeuwen and colleagues in a 2007 article in the "Journal of the National Cancer Institute." Radiation levels and techniques have been improved over the years, but research has shown that radiation for breast cancer still can cause heart disease. The radiation damages the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart itself, according to Nancy Keene and Dr. Kevin Oeffinger in a 2000 article in the "Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation Newsletter." Women who receive radiation for breast cancer should stop smoking to lower the risk of future damage.
Cardiomyopathy
Radiation for breast cancer can also cause a heart condition called cardiomyopathy, according to Keene and Oeffinger. The heart muscle -- especially the left ventricle -- stops pumping effectively, which then leads to blood backing up into the lungs. The lungs are unable to exchange oxygen from the blood appropriately. These problems lead to congestive heart failure. Symptoms include shortness of breath, swelling of the feet and fatigue, according to MayoClinic.com.
Heart Valve Damage
Radiation therapy can also damage the valves in the heart which can also cause congestive heart failure as well, according to the Leiomyosarcoma.org.uk. The mitral valve and the aortic valve can become inflexible and unable to appropriately close or open, according to Keene and Oeffinger. This disrupts the flow of blood through the heart and can also lead to congestive heart failure.
References
- Leiomyosarcoma.org.uk: Radiation Damage Discussion
- RadiologyInfo.org: Breast Cancer
- Mayo Clinic: Heart Failure
- "Journal of the National Cancer Institute"; Long-Term Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in 10-Year Survivors of Breast Cancer; Flora E . van Leeuwen and colleagues; 2007.
- "Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation Newsletter"; Radiation and the Heart; Nancy Keene and Dr. Kevin Oeffinger MD; 2000.
