Herceptin

Heart monitoring on Herceptin

Heart problems can sometimes develop while you're on Herceptin and they can be serious.

Before treatment starts, you'll have a test to see how well your heart is working for example, an ultrasound scan of your heart (echocardiogram) or a multi-gated acquisition (MUGA) scan .

Your heart will also be regularly checked during treatment.

It's important to tell your doctor if you get any of the following symptoms of a heart problem while on Herceptin:

shortness of breath during the day or night
swollen ankles

If you develop a problem with your heart during treatment, it will usually improve if you have a short break from Herceptin.

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018

Articles for herceptin

Introduction

Find out about Herceptin (trastuzumab), including how it works, when it's used, how it's given and what the possible side effects are.

How Herceptin works

Herceptin can help control the growth of cancer cells that contain high amounts of HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2). HER2 is found in all human cells. It controls cell growth and repai

When Herceptin is used

Herceptin can be used to treat: early HER2 positive breast cancer, following surgery and/or radiotherapy and chemotherapy , to reduce the risk ofthe cancer coming back advanced HER2 positive breas

How Herceptin is given

Herceptin is given during visits to a hospital or clinic. Itcan begiven in two ways: by infusion where the medication is fed slowly into your bloodstream through a drip; the first treatment usually

Side effects of Herceptin

Herceptin often causes side effects, although many of these will become less severeover time. The following side effects affectaround 1 in 10 people: a reaction to the medication this can cause chi

Heart monitoring on Herceptin

Heart problems can sometimes develop while you're on Herceptin and they can be serious. Before treatment starts, you'll have a test to see how well your heart is working for example, an ultrasound sc

Who may not be able to have Herceptin

Herceptin shouldn't be used to treat people with breast, oesophageal or stomach cancer that isn't HER2 positive. It may also not be suitable if: you have a pre-existing heart condition, such as hea

Reporting side effects

The Yellow Card Scheme allows you to report suspected side effects from any type of medicine you're taking. The scheme is run by medicines safety watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regu

Health News