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How an Oncology Social Worker Can Help Apr 13, 2021 | By Angie Murad, Patient Educator (@muradangie)Comment receiving replies
Hi Ida,
I'm sorry to hear that your daughter is still dealing with radiation damage from cancer treatments, resulting in drastic heart failure. Cancer treatment-induced heart disease does happen. There is a discussion on Mayo Clinic Connect dedicated to it here:
- Cancer Treatment Induced Heart Disease https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/radiation-induced-heart-disease/
The cancer education team also posted a related blog and video here on Mayo Clinic Connect. See
– Cancer Treatment and the Heart https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/cancer-education-center/newsfeed-post/cancer-treatment-and-the-heart-1/
Has your daughter been seen at a Cardio-Oncology clinic? Have you and your daughter considered a second opinion regarding her qualification for a heart transplant? May I ask what type of cancer your daughter had?
Replies to "Hi Ida, I'm sorry to hear that your daughter is still dealing with radiation damage from..."
As an addendum to our previous comments.... . Being a retired nurse she can speak way better about medical issues than I can at my 91 years. Thanks so much for your reply.
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She goes to the advanced heart failure clinic in the Oklahoma Heart Institute. Have not had a second opinion. Type of cancer was breast cancer. Radiation protocol at the time was irradiating the medialstinal nodes and subclavicular nodes. She had an aortic valve replacement, biological, in 2015 and shortly thereafter went into right heart failure. Multiple pleural effusions with chest tubes that caused more scarring. Oklahoma Heart says there is too much scar tissue for a heart transplant. She has a mitral clip to reduce regurgitation, a synchronizing pacemaker with a defibrillator and cardio-mem in the pulmonary artery.
If you feel that it would be worth pursuing, we would like to hear from you. We are also very interested in research on right-heart pump. Thank you.