WASHINGTON (WUSA9) -- A "miracle" breast cancer drug stopped the cancer, but was causing damage to a woman's heart.
"I kind of always knew I was going to get breast cancer," Nanci Young said.
Young, the daughter, granddaughter and niece of breast cancer survivors, believed her diagnosis was inevitable. She was right and she would battle the disease four times.
In 1991, a BSE led to the first diagnosis. Young was 37, married and had two young children.
When all the treatments and reconstructive surgeries were done, her life went back to normal until cancer came knocking a decade later.
"I was loaded. it was in my spine, lymph nodes, around the chest wall."
Young, who is HER2 Neu positive, was put on a new at the time drug called Herceptin. It interferes with cancer growth and stops it from spreading.
"These drugs in breast cancer qualified as -- are indeed miraculous -- effects are fantastic," said Dr. Raquel Nunes with MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
Herceptin worked miracles for Young. She was cancer free for another eight years. But at the same time her miracle drug was having an unintended, and unfortunate, consequence. It was actually damaging her heart -- threatening congestive heart failure.
"It is not typical but it did surface as a major public concert," Dr. Ana Barac with MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute said.
Most of the patients, when the treatment is stopped, the heart function goes back to normal," added Dr. Barac.
Young's dilemma was risking further heart damage or a certain risk of a break cancer recurrence.
"And they're like well, let's put it this way. You need your heart to fight your cancer."
Off Herceptin, and her heart on the mend Young was now in a battle against time to stop the cancer. In need of a new miracle, she was enrolled in The Safe Heart Trial at Medstar Washington Hospital Center.
Nancy was put on Herceptin & Perjeta -- plus cardiac medication and monitored for a year---with excellent results. She now returns now every three weeks for an infusion of the cancer cocktail. Her heart continues to do well and the breast cancer is in remission.
The Safe Heart Trial is still open for more women and men who qualify. Find out how you can volunteer and get information on Young's Gift Foundation helping newly diagnosed women follow a path to survival and their children afford to continue their education. http://bit.ly/1LhjIwB
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