Hi Everyone Earlier this year in February I was diagnosed at the age of 27 with Breast Cancer. After 5 surgeries and having a full mastectomy on my right breast, I completed my harrowing 18 wk treatment plan knowing that I was to be on hormorne blocking tablets for 5 years solid, which is now to start. I have a debarkle that I am facing at this point in time and would love to know everyone's thoughts.... I am in two minds about whether i want to really take these hormone blocking tablets or not. I do realise that this part of the treatment plan and that it is a good thing, however do not like the fact that I am unable to have children over this time frame, etc. I currently find it hard talking to those around me as no one has been through a similar thing, and if they do know people who have been through this they fall into the much older woman catergory.

Hi sillysam83, I have discussed it already with my oncologist and she says that the decision is mine but highly recommended to take them. A lot of people who are around me seem to think its silly if i don't take it and although i already have one child (4) i would like to think that i could have more within the next 5 years depending on what my body wants to do with healing itself currently. I am originally from NZ and have been living here for 19 years in Brisbane, unfortunately there aren't any 'close' support groups around where I live on the South side of brisbane... Hope all is well! and congratulations on the reconstruction surgery!!!

Hi I'm not in your age group but I feel your Oncologist is stating the obvious, everyone has the right to refuse treatment, in your case the hormone blockers. If your cancer is hormone positive, there is a major risk to you if you become pregnant. Ask your Oncologist about the hormones that pregnancy produces and then assess your risk. I know it's a bummer but you need to be fully informed in order to make a decision that you are happy with. Some of the treatments can put you into early menopause, others are more gentle. Investigate and ask questions until you find one that suits your requirements. With decisions as big as these you need to be your own advocate, and for that you need to be informed. With love Joy K

It is such a tough decision for any of us but when you are young (I am 55 so don't need to consider some of the things that you do) it does have further questions. At the end of the day YOU really need to make the best decision for YOUR body. Information is empowering and makes the answers come more freely. Do your research but ASK ASK ASK. XLeonie

Hello dear, I perfectly understand your situation, I turned 32 years old and I have a 1 year old baby (Gaspar turns 1 year yesterday!! I am sooo happy!) I am also estrogen positive, not really high just 30% do you know your percentage? I talk to one of my doctors and if you are below 25% you probably WILL NOT benefit much from tamoxifen, you can also chose to have it for only 1 or 2 years and then try for babies, I have been doing science for over 10 years and I have many papers that can help you to take the decision. I would like to say that I had cancer before getting pregnant (of course as Merylee and others the doctors didnt think the lump on my breast was something to concer about it!) so I felt the lump around Dec 2009 Jan 2010 and got pregnant later in March 2010, I had a beautiful pregnancy, a wonderful and easy waterbirth and I asked again the doctors about my lump (which got bigger) around March 2011, in May 2011 after a core biopsy I was diagnose with early breast cancer, so my point is PREGNANCY DOESNT TRIGGER CANCER OR WORST YOUR PROGNOSIS, I am not telling you this just because my own experience, but after reading many medical papers and taking to my oncologist. If you or another of you guys wants me to send you some of these papers to read a bit please let me know and I can send them to you because I dont know how to attach them here! ha! Send me a text as I am not cheking Internet very often (my mobile is 0411836970).....ALL THE BEST TO YOU AND KEEP SMILING!!! Leonor

Hormone Blocking Treatment | BCNA Online Network

16 Replies

elisewjk
Member
6 years ago
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Thanks so much everyone for sharing, that really helps me. Cheers
Silba
Member
6 years ago
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Hi

Same as some of the others once the excess was paid with health insurance no other cost apart from medication scripts.

Oncologist usually tell you which hospital they prefer to work from.
Flaneuse
Member
6 years ago
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@elisewjk I didn't pay a cent for chemo in the public system. Nor for the injections (otherwise very expensive) I needed to have the day after (because I got an infection on the first round).
Zoffiel
Member
6 years ago
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If you don't have access to a public oncologist--they are rare in regional areas--you will have to pay for the cost of seeing a private one. Out of pocket for that around here is about $140 per visit, but the actual chemo treatment doesn't cost anything.

You will have to pay for any discharge meds, which can be pricey. A hint here, get any prescriptions filled at a discount pharmacy; hospital pharmacies charge the full PBS rates which can be considerably more expensive than you will pay elsewhere.
kezmusc
Member
6 years ago
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Public. Free chemo and rads, same oncologist and radonc as the private patients in a private hospital. Free antiemetics, antihistamines from hospital pharmacists, free lunch :) $38 for Neulasta injection of which I only had one.
Kiwi_Angel
Member
6 years ago
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Mine was paid through my private health insurance. Just had to pay for my neulasta injection.
Sister
Member
6 years ago
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I never paid a cent for chemo in the private system as I had insurance and had already paid my annual in-hospital access for surgery. Public would have been free (and I might even have had the same surgeon). As @kmakm says, do be careful about rads, though as insurance doesn't cover it and it costs thousands in the private sector.
kmakm
Member
6 years ago
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Same as @Lvlw. Once I'd paid my excess it was at no further cost at my local private hospital. Radio therapy is the one that trips people up. It can cost a fortune in the private system. Free in the public.
Blossom1961
Member
6 years ago
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Public patient. No cost for chemo treatment
Lvlw
Member
6 years ago
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hi, my chemo was covered as an in-patient cost with my private healthcare so i just had to pay for hospital excess. Lxx

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Hormone Blocking Treatment

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