Abemaciclib (Verzenio) and fulvestrant (Falsodex) Treatment

I'm joining this discussion and hope others will too who have been on this combo in 2024-25. I had a bad reaction to taking Letrozole and another AI for 4.5 months. It gave me higher & higher BP, to the point of getting high BP spikes at night. So I was taken off of that. Now they want to start a Fulvestrant+ Verzenio injections plus pill. Going to a heart/oncology Doc first to get an Echocardiogram and talk to her about my cardio risks. High blood pressure is somewhat of a risk, hope it won't elevate mine. I'm on 3 meds for high BP now (thanks very much, Letrozole!) My cancer is in the chest wall, inaccessible right now to radiation & surgery, so they want to shrink it. I am 75, had first B. cancer at 43 with chemo then. This new one appeared over the same spot where the other one sat, but not on the outside. 32 years between events. My questions mainly concern affect on my heart, cardiovascular side effects. Thank you!

no I don't.

@cctoo, heart issues can be a concern with some treatment options. You may ask about a cardio-oncology specialist or department.

Mayo Clinic offers a program to address heart problems associated with cancer treatment called cardio-oncology or for people who have a pre-existing heart condition when diagnosed with cancer. The Cardio-Oncology Clinic (https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/cardio-oncology-clinic/overview/ovc-20442193) evaluates people prior to cancer treatment and patients who have experienced side effects due their treatment, and can help evaluate treatment when you have both cancer and heart conditions.

Do you have access to a similar cardio-oncology program?

will be getting Fulvestrant injection s after radiation . How is that? Side effects? I am most concerned about left chest radiation .how to prevent heart issues.

Just wondering is your cancer a recurrence? Have you had any scans since you started treatment? I live 7 hours from Mayos and am headed there tomorrow for 2 days of scans, bloodwork, and my fulvestrant injection. I'm anxious to see what the test/scan results show.

I'm not familiar with letrozole....is your cancer a recurrence?

I have been on Verzenio + anastrozole since February (MBC). I've had diarrhea during the first month but it's mostly gone now. Still going on are hot flashes and some fatigue. It's pretty recent for me so I cannot say much to its effectiveness. I, too, am having a difficult time with the diagnosis itself.

I occasionally have some 💩💩💩 but I also think that happens when I eat crappy. My hands peel very bad and get raw sometimes but that has slowed down a lot over the past year. I’m not sure why but it makes me happy.

Hi, sending best wishes to my fellow MBCs. I have been on Verzenio and Anastrosole since October. Fatigue, bone achiness, and occasional hot flashes have been my chief symptoms.

I just started this treatment 2 months ago and see that you started in July. Just wondering how it is going for you 10 months later. Hoping to hear that it is going well for you.