Management of acute decompensated heart failure in patients with cancer.

Case Study: H.M. is a 70-year-old woman with a known history of metastatic breast cancer. In 1995, she underwent a right modifi ed radical mastectomy followed by four years of hormonal therapy with tamoxifen. In April 2001, she was diagnosed with bone metastases and placed on letrozole, zoledronic acid, and chemotherapy consisting of gemcitabine and docetaxel. She experienced severe mucositis, and the chemotherapy was discontinued fi ve months later. In October 2001, she was started on 5-fl uorouracil, leucovorin, and mitoxantrone, which she continued until she was diagnosed with possible chemotherapy-induced cardiomyopathy in July 2003.