MUGA scan down to 50% ?
 

Hi friends
I had a MUGA today after my first cycle of a clinical trial of TDM-1. It was 67 and went down to 50. Is 50+ normal? Are they going to kick me off the trial already? I go for my 2nd infusion on mon 20th may. I see the trial onc at this time. Does anyone have experience with this? I have only ever had echos before starting the trial. Thanks

Dawn. Xx

Re: MUGA scan down to 50% ?
 

Dawn,

I can feel how anxious you are about the situation.

Generally speaking, if the MUGA (or Echo) drops more than 10% or drops below 50, the doctor will stop the treatment. That happened to me in 2007 while undergoing chemo and Herceptin. My oncologist gave me the small dose of Herceptin (weekly instead of tri-weekly) after TCH (had already experienced swollen ankles/knees after the 4th infusion of TCH - thought it was because I walked too much - but he evidently knew the true cause [reduced heart function/not able to pump the fluid back efficiently] and did not want to alarm me). But I still only managed to have just 4 of them before my MUGA showed further decline.

If you don't have any other symptoms (such as swollen ankles and/or short of breath) you might push for at least one more treatment if you feel strongly about it. Your doctor will know what's best for you.

Sending you good vibes.

[I remember there were members who'd used enalarprial to enhance their heart funcion / bring up their MUGA/ECHO score and resume their Herceptin treatment.]

Re: MUGA scan down to 50% ?
 

Dawn...
Deep breath...in through the nose...out through the mouth...
You're wise to stay ahead of it. Ask questions of your regular onc, and whoever oredered the MUGA. But, don't borrow trouble! Keep smiling, and focus on how well that TDM-1 is kicking cancer's butt!

I've been through this twice myself, and both times it worked out fine. There are some good threads about this here too. Do a search for EF, echo, MUGA...and see what comes up.

My cardiologist only does echos. She says she gets a better overall picture of the way the heart is functioning. MUGAs are computerized...so the benefit is there's no human error involved. But there's no room for an expert to dispute the findings either.

I personally don't think a 50% is going to get you kicked out. Mostly because they're comparing two different kinds of studies. One echo and one MUGA - apples and oranges. If they do try to oust you, I'd insist on an echo to confirm. My doc says anything from 50% - 65% is perfectly normal. And as Jackie points out, a drop of 10% is always cause for concern. BUT...again...they're comparing two different kinds of studies here, so I'm not sure that should factor in. And besides...you haven't dropped out of the normal range. (Remember! All of this is just my humble, non-medical opinion...based solely on my limited knowlege and experience.)

Also, when this happened to me...the doc prescribed coreg and enapril to help my heart "recuperate" between treatments and more importantly, between echos. It has worked like a charm!

Sending warm thoughts, and a big hug!
Keep us posted!
Denise