Does trastuzumab cause heart failure?
Does trastuzumab cause heart failure? Symptomatic heart failure, a serious adverse effect of trastuzumab, occurs in 1% to 4% of patients treated with the antibody, whereas left ventricular ejection fraction declines substantially in 10% of patients. The prevalence of cardiotoxic effects of trastuzumab appears to increase with exposure to anthracyclines. Does Herceptin cause heart problems? Heart muscle damage and heart failure are potentially serious side effects of Herceptin. A small study has found that after 3 months of Herceptin treatment, nearly 58% of women had some loss of heart function. The study used heart ultrasounds (echocardiograms) to evaluate the women's...