Duration of endocrine therapy in premenopausal Australian patients
Hello all Very long time since I’ve poked my head into this discussion forum. I’d like to hear what other younger pre-menopausal patients around the country are being recommend regarding duration of total endocrine therapy. I myself am now onto year 6 of ovarian suppression and AI, a choice I have continued although I could have switched to tamoxifen alone. Please comment with your doctors advice and your stage/diagnosis. Are you doing: 5 years ovarian suppression and aromatase inhibitor 7 years ovarian suppression and aromatase inhibitor 10 years ovarian suppression and aromatase inhibitor 5 years tamoxifen +/- ovarian suppression and then further 5 years ovarian suppression and aromatase inhibitor 10 years tamoxifen alone
Breakthrough bleed after first dose???
Hi all, after finishing 15 rounds of radiation therapy, i took my first dose on tamoxifen at 10am this morning, only to develop a breakthrough bleed by 5pm. I am perimenopaul and my last period was in Nov 24. I will be contacting the Doctor tomorrow but has anyone experienced this? Do these bleeds stop on their own? Thank you in advance.
Early Breast Cancer Treatment Decision
Hi All, I recently was diagnosed with early breast cancer (stage 1, grade 2, HER Negative, Estrogen & Prog positive, no lymph nodes involve) three weeks ago I had a double mastectomy with tissue expanders for reconstruction. I now need to choose my treatment for post surgery. For my particular case the percentage for survival purely doing the double mastectomy surgery alone is 95% when I add hormone blocker treatment it adds another 1% so 96% total which has been recommended by my oncologist to take which I will. I have been also given the option to decide if I want to also do chemo or not, the percentage benefit for my specific cancer is less than 1% at about 0.3% (so the percentage still stays at 96% survival) Is there anyone with a similar case to mine and what you decided? Or if it was you what you would do? My immediate thoughts are for a 0.3% benefit that going through 6 months of chemo with everything that comes with that is perhaps not worth doing it? The other thing I will point out is if there are any tiny microcells left in my body anywhere that hormone blockers will stop them dividing and growing, but chemo would actually kill them. Bearing in mind there is no guarantee either way that reoccurrence will or won't happen. Thoughts?
Exemestane & cardiac symptoms
Hi all, Apologies if this has been covered before but I am hitting a brick wall with my oncologist who has denied any knowledge of problems with taking anti hormone treatment such as exemestane and it aggravating pre-existing hypertension & heart palpitations. I stopped taking exemestane and my blood pressure average dropped 20 points and the bad headaches also stopped but my oncologist doesn’t think the drug caused the blood pressure problems. All they want to do is push another drug but I don’t want a repeat as it adversely impacted my ability to work & I didn’t feel safe as I had a hypertensive event whilst exercising. Has anyone else experienced similar problems as I can’t believe I am the only one to have this happen to although my oncologist said she had “ never heard of this before” or know of any current studies or literature I can show my oncologists? I feel like I’m being fobbed off and being labelled as an inconvenience as not wanting to tow the easy treatment line. Being in a regional public health system is also probably not helping with the quality of care & concern. Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks
Using 'the oil' for Exemestane side effects
Hi there, I'm curious to hear from people who've been using 'the oil' to treat side effects of hormone therapy. I've noticed people don't say the actual name of it, assuming it gets flagged?! To cut my long story short... Diagnosed in June, mastectomy in July, radiotherapy in August/September, and then started hormone therapy September/October. I'm on Goserelin every 28 days, plus Exemestane daily. I'm told this is the plan for the next 5-10 years. However, my joint, ligament and muscle aches are horrible! I've read similar side effects from others on here - where there's a joint, it aches, particularly overnight - I didn't even know elbows and knuckles could ache! My feet are so painful to walk on any time I get up from sitting/lying down. I'd heard a few people say the oil has helped them with these side effects. I've been taking it for 5 weeks now and am quite disappointed that I feel very little effect. I'm taking Altreleaf C B D 100 ISO - 100mg. I take 0.5ml in the morning, 0.5ml at lunchtime, then 1ml at 8pm. He gave me one containing T H C too (because I asked for it ;-) but I can't really use it as you can't have it in your system at all when you drive. I'm 46 and a mum of two young girls so driving is a pretty essential part of my daily life. I'd love to hear it others have tried the oil and had similar disappointment, or any success. I'd also love to hear from anyone who's been on Exemestane and changed to another drug - because I'm told it's brutal and not many women stay on it. I'm thinking my only option really is to switch to something else but worry it'll be the same! Thanks in advance!
Acupuncture
Hi all, I've read a few of you mentioning acupuncture as a great natural approach to helping with menopausal symptoms and so I was wondering if people could share more with me? If anyone has recommendations for finding one that is trained to help that would be great too. I love Melbourne eastern suburbs if anyone has used one out here I'd love to hear about it
Hormone treatments, tamoxifen and tendonitis
Hi there, I'm very new to this, but wondering if anyone has experience of tamoxifen and tendonitis? I've had two different types of breast cancer, but one side was HER2Positive so since January this year I have been on anastrozole. In late July I got extremely painful tendon damage - a torn and swollen hamstring tendon near my seatbone, so it really hurts to sit, and two other gluteal tendons with tendinopathy as well - no idea what set these problems off, but discovered that anastrozole, in reducing oestrogen, weakens tendons. My Oncologist said suspend it, so I haven't been taking it since early August. She later offered me a script for Tamoxifen instead. As Tamoxifen also is designed to reduce oestrogen I am wondering whether I should switch to it or not? I don't want a breast cancer recurrence, but my life quality at the moment is much affected by the tendon problem which is not healing very quickly at all. It's going to take many many months I think. If I take tamoxifen now will I slow down the healing? What should I do? Anyone out there had any experience with tamoxifen and tendons? Thanks for any experience you can share with me!!!Hormone blockers
I have just completed radiotherapy and will start Letrozole in a few weeks. I am petrified having read the side effects experienced. I am in menopause and wonder if the impact will be less or if there are many who don’t have any side effects? Anyone with positive stories about Letrozole?
Aromatase Inhibitors
Just need some help in deciding on the next step, in Feb I was diagnosed with IDC ER, PR + HER2-, & DCIS in my right breast, no lymph nodes involved. I had surgery & have just completed 15 days radiotherapy & got quite a bad burn area under my arm around the outer breast. I am using Flamigel, salt water flannels to cool & was prescribed some steroid ointment by my GP for burn area. I'm waiting to see how the next 10 days go. Then comes the next hurdle, how do I decide whether to go on hormone therapy or not. I am 73, I was on HRT right up until the diagnosis as I had osteoporosis diagnosed at 49, I have had osteoarthritis since my mid 40s & need a knee replacement, I have a family history of high cholesterol & heart disease, I have Factor V Leiden blood (sticky blood), & have 3 surgeries to remove uterine polyps. I have gastroparesis, & I take several medications already including Palexia tapentadol. I am very tearful (but only when I'm by myself), I'm having trouble sleeping, keep getting hot & cold, & by June I need to decide if I should take medication that may thin my bones & make my joints even worse, & increase my risk of heart attack or stroke. My husband can't see the problem & says just take it. My daughter says the same. I know I am lucky not to have needed chemo, I know I am older when cancer can be expected, I know I will have to die of something, but in my head all I can think about is why would I take a medication that will possibly make all my current problems even worse, just in case breast cancer returns. How do I stop cancer returning if I refuse hormone treatment? Can anyone help with advice?
