Can brachytherapy cause heart problems?

But late thrombosis (occurring after the initial 30 days) is seen in almost 10% of patients receiving brachytherapy. This late thrombosis commonly is associated with myocardial infarction (heart attack) or unstable angina. To help reduce this risk, blood thinners are recommended for at least a year after brachytherapy.

What does radiation do to your heart?

Radiation can injure the pericardium (the tissue covering the heart), myocardium (the heart muscle itself), the heart valves, coronary arteries and the heart’s electrical system. Some of the problems that may develop are: Pericarditis (inflammation of the tissue surrounding the heart)

How does breast radiation affect the heart?

Many women receive radiation therapy as well, which can cause heart tissue to scar or stiffen, possibly leading to valve disorders, coronary artery disease, or other heart problems.

How is brachytherapy used to treat heart disease?

Heart Disease: Treatment With Brachytherapy. This re-narrowing is called in- stent restenosis. Most restenosis is due to scar tissue that forms in response to the injury created when the stent was implanted. Some scar tissue is useful; it covers the metal stent and helps prevent blood clots from forming.

Are there any side effects to brachytherapy treatment?

Because brachytherapy focuses radiation in a small treatment area, only that area is affected. You may experience tenderness and swelling in the treatment area. Ask your doctor what other side effects can be expected from your treatment.

When to talk to your doctor about brachytherapy?

If this happens, your doctor will talk to you about treatments used to reopen the artery. If you have in-stent restenosis more than 1-2 times, your doctor may talk to you about brachytherapy (also called vascular brachytherapy or VBT). Brachytherapy helps prevent the growth of too much tissue over the treated area of the artery as it heals.

Why do I feel pain in my chest after brachytherapy?

Remember that these catheters are entering narrow areas of blockage in your coronary artery. You may feel discomfort in your chest when the CHECKMATE™ catheter is positioned in your coronary artery, but again, this due to the presence of the catheter and not because of radiation.