Health Highlights: Oct. 8, 2007

Mar. 23 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments,compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Breast Cancer Chemo Drugs Under Scrutiny

Medical experts are debating whether chemotherapy drugs called anthracyclines -- a mainstay of breast cancer chemo -- should be relegated to the sidelines, the Associated Press reported Monday.

The drugs have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease in some women and new research suggests that anthracyclines are no more effective against breast cancer than chemo drugs that are safer for most women.

A study in this month's Journal of Oncology found that breast cancer survivors who received an anthracycline drug were 26 percent more likely to develop heart failure within 10 years than those who were given different chemo drugs, the AP reported.

An article in this month's Journal of the American College of Cardiology said that outright heart failure during chemotherapy is rare, affecting about two percent of patients. But author Dr. Pamela Douglas, a Duke University cardiologist, said research has found that 10 percent to 50 percent of patients who receive anthracycline drugs experience subtle heart weakening, which makes them more vulnerable to common age-related conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Douglas noted that other factors may play a role in the development of heart problems in breast cancer patients, including chest radiation, stress, physical inactivity during treatment, and weight gain, the AP reported.

The National Breast Cancer Coalition is trying to persuade oncologists and U.S. government regulators to reconsider treatment guidelines, but many oncologists are skeptical and want more proof that other chemo drugs work as well as anthracyclines, the wire service said.

Douglas recommended that all breast cancer patients have a formal heart risk assessment before the start of treatment. Results may influence cancer therapy or help doctors identify women who will need extra heart care after cancer treatment, the AP reported.