A breast cancer survivor says she no longer lives “with the same fear” after a clinical trial enabled her to stop the heart medication she needed following cancer treatment.
Lucy Shepherd, from Hertfordshire, was diagnosed with triple positive breast cancer shortly after her 33rd birthday, but a routine scan revealed that her heart function had declined during care.
A new study, described as “hugely encouraging” for patients, has found the majority of breast cancer survivors whose treatment caused heart problems may not need to be on precautionary medication for life.
“Being part of the trial and having the chance to come off my heart medication has definitely improved my life,” Shepherd said.
The trial – funded by the British Heart Foundation – involved 90 women in their 40s and 50s across four UK hospitals, whose hearts had recovered after a specific type of treatment for breast cancer.
Most would have been advised to stay on heart drugs for life over concerns heart function would decline if they stopped.
Researchers found that 98% of patients in the group who stopped taking medication had no change in heart function after one year, with just one woman developing a problem with her heart’s pumping ability.
Women who came off drugs also reported, in questionnaires, a better quality of life.
