KELLIE PATTERSON / NewsChannel 36
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 4:04 PM
Updated Monday, Jun 13 at 9:31 PM
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A lot of people think once they beat cancer they are in the clear, but doctor say not so fast. Cardiovascular problems can pop up in cancer patients and survivors well after the rigorous treatments.
Fortunately, some local doctors have recognized this and are doing something to help.
"Patients need to understand that just because they made it through the cancer treatment it doesn't mean that it stops there," said cancer survivor Monna Jones.
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In January 2010 Jones was diagnosed with MFH Sarcoma after doctors found a tumor in her heart.
"I underwent heart surgery to actually remove the tumor from my heart and rebuild the arteries," said Jones.
After recovering from the open heart surgery, it was time to treat the cancer.
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"It was a necessary evil," Jones said. "I knew that I was facing potential heart damage but at the time I had no choice because chemotherapy was needed to save my life."
Prior to chemotherapy doctors took a scan of her heart. After about five rounds of treatment they noticed a significant decrease in Jones' heart function.
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"My injection fraction was down to 35 to 40 percent, which is borderline congestive heart failure," said Jones.
So she was referred to cardiologist Dr. William Ntim of Mid Carolina Cardiology.
He's part of Presbyterian's Cardiovascular Institute, which has teamed up with the Presbyterian Cancer Center for a cardio-oncology program, an effort headed by Ntim.
"The goal here is to bring all expertise on board. Let's let the oncologist treat the cancer, but let's involve the cardiologist and recognize this new cardiovascular syndrome," said Ntim.
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He says the problem they're seeing is that a lot of cancer patients beat cancer but because the treatments are so powerful some survivors can run into heart trouble down the road.
"It's always heartbreaking to see a young woman who, let's say, survives breast cancer, goes through all the treatment, only to have early cardiovascular disease, which is not identified," said Ntim.
The purpose of this new program is to identify those problems by taking heart scans prior, during and after treatment. This allows doctors to monitor the heart function and treat the patient accordingly.
"We want to improve survival but also improving the mortality of the survivor but also improving the quality of life," said Ntim
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Jones' case was unique because the cancer was in her heart, which already made her a higher risk.
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She's doing very well now and says no matter your age or what kind of cancer you may have, the cardio-oncology program is something she is very thankful for.
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"Who wants to lose their life to heart damage after you fought and won a cancer battle?" said Jones.
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For more information on Presbyterian's cardio-oncology program, click here.
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