New Cancer Therapies Have Doctors Working Together
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Targeted cancer treatments are working wonders, but have side effects that weren't issues with older therapies.
Immunotherapy treatments for cancer are becoming the standard of care, but come with complications which can be serious.
Dr. Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla, Chief of Medical Oncology at Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Philadelphia explains the treatments can damage the heart.
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"Increased blood pressure, for example, so what we call hypertension, or arrhythmia which is abnormal heart beat, or issues with the heart itself," he said. "The function of the heart and the pump of the heart can be compromised, we call that heart failure or heart dysfunction.
He says Oncologists are now teaming with Cardiologists to treat the patient's cancer while protecting the heart.