To some oncologists it appears to be a case of “the cure is worse than the disease”. There may be a link to one type of chemotherapy and the increased risk of heart disease in women who have already won one battle.

Drugs call anthracyclines are a breast cancer chemo staple despite a well known risk. They weaken some women’s hearts.

There are newer, safer forms of chemo available and studies are being done to see how substantial the risk is, and if the risk outweighs the gain.  Oncologists are split at this point. Some say the added heart issues outweigh the benefit of this chemo drug, while others still feel it is the most effective chemo available.

Bottom line. From a life insurance standpoint, at least at this point, underwriters focus only on the stage and grade of the cancer and the success of the treatment. There may be a point where they look at the type of treatment and factor that into the equation, but for now at least breast cancer survivors can apply for life insurance with just one issue to deal with.