Chemotherapy, radiation and other cancer treatments occasionally cause heart problems. Cancer patients should talk with their doctor before treatment begins about possible side affects.
If you’re already started treatment, look for these symptoms:
- Shortness of breath.
- Fatigue.
- Swelling in hands, feet.
- Chest discomfort.
- Lightheadedness.
If you experience any of these symptoms, your doctor can adjust your medication, prescribe a different one or reduce radiation therapy to the heart.
Learn more at a free community education event, “Cardiac Considerations in Cancer Care,” on Tuesday, Sept. 12, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Hartford Hospital Education and Resource Center at 560 Hudson St. in Hartford. Cancer patients can learn about cardiac considerations before and after treatments, the role of cardiologists in cancer care and why it’s important to have a multidisciplinary team of experts. To register for the event, a collaboration between the Hartford HealthCare Tallwood Urology and Kidney Institute and the Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute,