Breast Cancer & PM

I have a question fro the group:
Have anyone here developed breast cancer within a year of having their pacemaker implanted? Within a few months of recieving a PM I developed BC in the same side the PM is implanted. For the first few months following the implantation my PM was going off daily. As I recall from previous science clases, submitting a cell or other living thing, to constant shocks can cause it to grow out of control or at least much faster than normal.
Jean

4 Comments

A tough one.

by Stepford_Wife - 2007-08-02 03:08:05

Hi Jean.

After an intensive search, all I could come up with, was this article.
Apparently, it is not an impossibility, to develop breast cancer after a pacemaker implantation.

~ Dominique ~

Article
Development of carcinoma of the breast at the site of an implanted pacemaker in two patients
Shoshana Biran, MD *, Andre Keren, MD, Thomas Farkas, MD, Shlomo Stern, MD
Department of Oncology, Hadassah University Hospital, and the Departments of Cardiology and Surgery, Shaare Zedek Bikur Cholim Hospitals, Jerusalem

*Correspondence to Shoshana Biran, Department of Oncology, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel

Keywords
implanted pacemaker • foreign body • trauma • mammary oncogenesi

Abstract
We report here on two female patients who had permanent pacemakers implanted in their chests and who developed carcinoma of the breast subsequently. An association is suspected between the breast cancer and the pacemaker, which is implanted in an area which borders with the mammary gland or is even right within it. This suspicion led us lately to change in female patients the site of the subcutaneous pocket for the implantation of the pacemaker to a position higher in the chest than before. Moreover, we advocate frequent breast examinations in all female patients with implanted pacemakers.

Breast Cancer and PMs

by lady4law - 2007-08-02 10:08:14

Thanks so much Dominiqe. I had some episodes of Vaso Vagla (?) which was broght on by an alergy reaction to (Mainly) BP meds. I had no history of heart problems, but was talked into having a PM implanted...now 9 months later I have Stage 3A BC. I had a lumpectomy a month ago, now on chemo,and will have to have 2 more surgeries, a mastectomy and then relocation of the PM before RADS.
Do you have the web site where you found this article? I would like to read the entire article.
Thanks Jean

Breast cancer and PMs.

by Stepford_Wife - 2007-08-03 01:08:23

Hi Jean.

There wasn't much more to the article, than what I copied, It's from Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem, Israel, Department of oncology.
www.3interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/
112720248/ABSTRACT

You might be able to get further information than I did. You could also try to Google: Departments of Cardiology and Surgery Shaare Zedek Bikur Cholim Hospitals, Jerusalem.

Happy to be of help. Take care,
~ Dominique ~

Breast Cancer and PMs

by lady4law - 2007-08-03 10:08:15

Thank you so much. I would like to download something for my PM Dr., as she does not want to move my PM when I have my mastectomy...but at a later date. As I now have discovered a new mass right next to my PM, I have no idea what will happened. I suppose my surgeon will have to remove it and then the PM Dr will have to perform another implant surgery. Sounds crazy. I feel she just wants to do surgery alone and change more money.
Jean

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