muga scores
 

I am not really sure what a muga scan does, but I was wondering what a good score from it would be. I see where some of you had to quit herceptin when your score got down in the 40's and 50's, so I get that is low. But what is a good score? My first one was 66. Then I did just 2 of the tac before quitting that onc, switched to 33 rads, and found a new onc who did 6 cmf. After all of that and before herceptin my score was 67. I've had the muga every three months and the last one was 64. Is that good?

Sounds good to me. I really don't know how high these scores go but I was taken off herceptin when my MUGA reached 42. I was left on during a 4 month period where the tests were both 48. My original scores were in the 60's. From what my doctor told me the test count the blood being pumped through the heart but also show the pumping action of the heart itself. In my case the flow was down by these numbers but he also commented that my heart action was not good and he illustrated this by squeezing his hand open and closed with vigor and then illustrating mine....without vigor in kind of a lifeless way. He said that the herceptin attacks cells in the heart the same way as the cancer cells. I don't have any idea why you would maintain a good MUGA score and heart action and I would not....and I'm not sure that they know either.

Best regards,

Cathy

My onc told me that they want the score to be 50 or above in order to stay on the herceptin.

My onc said that 75 is average score.
Website on CHF/Echocardiograms said 60's are in average range.
The site also said anything above 50 is still "normal".

My score started out at 77. I had been a regular exerciser. Then I started 6 months of weekly chemo and herceptin and at 3 months it was down to 66. During that time I had been doing NO exercise. I started back slowly exercising (walking mostly) and continued on the weekly herceptin and chemo for another 3 months. Then another muga back up to 76! Not sure if the exercise was helping but it sure seems that way.

Donna

The norm for ejection fraction is between, 50 - 70. If you have a 10% drop in the ef then the are suppose to take you off herceptin until it reverses itself.

Karen

Pre-herceptin I was at 86 (I ran 15 miles a week)
After 6 months it dropped to 52 and now has gone up to 67.
It began to go up as I began to increase my excersise. My onc did say that 50 was the cut-off number.

maria

Muga dropped
 

I too had a Muga of 68 for my first two Mugas. I was then taking Taxotere and my exercise really decreased due to soooo much fatigue. My next Muga was 54. My onc. took me off of Herceptin and will do another Muga at the end of the month to see where it is at. I asked my onc if the lack of exercise could effect the Muga and he didn't think so. I am still wondering due to so many who this has happened to.