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>>Narrator: Named partially for it’s ruby red color, the drug doxorubicin has become
a mainstay in the treatment of breast cancer for decades. Linda Nazareth has been treated
with it - and so was her grandmother nearly 50 years ago. even then there were questions
about the impact it may have on a woman’s heart.
>> Linda Nazareth: My dad told me that she would start getting sick as soon as they started
the medicine and it did damage her heart. >>Narrator: But how much damage is done and just who is
at risk are questions doctors still can’t answer with much certainty. So researchers
at Ohio State’s James Cancer Hospital are using high-definition technology to try and
answer those decades-old questions. Normally when breast cancer patients are treated with
this drug, doctors keep tabs on their hearts by using echocardiograms. But those may have
their drawbacks. >>Charles Shapiro MD: By the time changes
manifest on the echocardiogram, indicating decreased heart function, it’s already too
late. The damage is done. >>Narrator: So doctor Charles Shapiro and
his team are taking a different approach. During chemotherapy sessions, they’re not
only collecting blood from patients, but are also putting them through state-of-the-art
cardiac MRIs - using crystal clear images to search for even the smallest signs of damage.
>>Maryam Lustburg MD: You can see the swelling, or edema, occurring at very early stages.
You can also see valvular changes that you might not otherwise see as well.
>>Narrator: Doctors insist doxorubicin is generally safe, and only a small percentage
of women may be at risk for heart damage. But knowing exactly who they are and when
damage may occur could help them treat even more women... More effectively. At Ohio State
University Medical Center, this is Clark Powell reporting.