Aromatase Therapy Timing Key in Breast Cancer Survival

BrooksideVT

Mysunshine, those percentages are totally tumor-specific and indicate how many of your personal tumor cells have estrogen or progesterone receptors. Those receptors allow the cells to use estrogen as, well, food. The findings are absolutely unrelated to the estrogen your body produces. As Doxie indicates, this high number is good, maybe great. No matter how far beyond menopause we might be, or whether we have ovaries or not, our bodies produce estrogen and AI's prevent that production.

Generally, your oncologist will recommend an AI, based on his or her preferences. My onc recommended arimidex because it has been around the longest and costs the least. Whichever drug you use, do remember that your onc wants to hear about any side effects and has strategies to help you stick with the plan.

Hopeful82014

My sunshine - I've been on Femara (generic form) for 9 months and have no issues with it. My hair is maybe bit drier. I can live with that. I was told that most side effects that do occur are worst early on and then taper off.

I am very active and keep moving, which I am sure helps. I was mildly osteopenic before diagnosis so am being even more careful about calcium and other supplements as well as weight-bearing exercise.

sailorgirl15

I have been on Femara/Letrozole for a month. MO gave it to me when I saw him before lumpectomy because I was waiting a few weeks and then after surgery want to wait 2 months before starting chemo. (You have to wait a month to heal fully, so this is just a bit longer to wait.) I felt a tad off at the beginning but now do not really notice anything except a little joint pain and I am very tired and ready for bed at 10 PM. I also am osteopenic (love that term - Hopeful) and am worried a bit about that but am taking extra calcium and Vitamin D. Hope you will have success with whichever you take! There is so much to take in with this journey!

arby

Hi! I have 1 year down (May) and 4 left on Arimidex. I will not sign up for another 5 years. Fatigue, probably from a hard time staying asleep at night due to pain in my hands and wrists and bad dreams make me ready to have this phase over with. I didn't gain weight right away, in fact due to a rural study thru University of Kansas Medical School, I was receiving diet support to keep good habits going for 2 yr (Sept 2012-Sept 2014.) I think my fatigue overruled my efforts to try harder with diet and exercise. This summer, walking my dog in the evening when its cooler stimulates my appetite so some things I did last year aren't helping. The medication affects each woman differently. This was my 3rd cancer diagnosis and I went from triple neg '07 to Her2+ in '09 to a totally different presentation with hormone positive in 2014. Since I can't have a recurrence, I wonder why I'm on any pill. But I follow my onc's plan of action and hope to someday actually be 5 years out and walk that lap. I want to encourage you to be honest about SE's with your doctors and try to find benefits from wholistic sources. Yoga, for anxiety and sleep problems, helped me in the winter until I developed too much hand pain that I needed to take Ibuprofen before class! I think swimming would be good exercise for my joints but I have no confidence to show up in a swim suit. It'll take you time to think thru what you want to try in coping with SE's; don't give up. I'm 63 and think there's a lot I still want to do, create and learn about so I sit quietly and wait for inspiration, I also surround myself with volunteer work, grandkids, and positive girlfriends.

lisa2012

back in here after a while out. What is all this talk of more than 5 years on AIs? I see my onc Weds and will ask. My horrible aches and pains slowly diminished ( after switching several times and a bone scan, fortunately negative but related to pain concerns) I'm also taking Lexapro which helped quite a bit.

Just up to almost 3 years on Aromasin. Will find out more this week.