hysterectomy predicament

jen93652

Hi, I had a lumpectomy with nodes removed 1/31/08. I finished chemo and radiation. Currently, I am on tamoxifen and herceptin. I am waiting for blood and pap results from the gyn.  I am anticipating that the gyn will recommend a full hysterectomy. I am producing ovarian cysts which means I am still producing estrogen which is feeding my cancer.  She spoke of removing the ovaries and also mentioned the hysterectomy because of the heightened risks of cervical and uterine cancer from the tamoxifen.  My breast surgeon says he understands the arguments both for and against the surgery and is on the fence. Sooooooooooo, has anyone else been in this situation? Any advice?

flash

The breast surgeon is correct, there are two schools of thought and no apparent "right" answer. Taking tamoxofin makes the most difference in decreasing the estrogen, not the ovaries and uterus.  Where it makes a difference is if you are prone to abdominal cancers or if you are not metabolizing tamoxofin well.  It really does have to be an individual decision and you really do have to have some of the information from the tests you gyn is doing.  From the point of view of cysts, the hyst does solve that problem but it is a major surgery.  Certainly if you cna do it vaginally or laproscopically, it does decrease the recorvery time. 

I did the hyst and ooph because I am at risk for the abdominal cancers and it allowed me to go immediately onto the ai's which have a better track record than tamox.

good luck.