So Low Risk, no ovarian suppression? Really?

annemarief

MsShelly - I too was dismissed by my onco because I was in such a low risk group. I felt like it was a break-up! LOL. I had taken Tamoxifen for 8 months after my surgery but felt depressed so he took me off it and offered no other alternative. I have no familial ovarian cancer so I guess that put me in a low risk box. He doesn't have any faith in the Oncotype DX test so he never had it done on me. 

Well I finally made an appointment with a top breast oncologist in NY and I see her next week. I will share her insight on CYP2D^ and Oncotype DX as well as treatment for us low risk women. 

It's been over two years since my surgery (bilateral with lat dorsal recon, 2mm & 3mm invasive ductal, ER & PR+) and I too feel like I'm hanging in the wind!!! 

rgiuff

MsShelleyI was stage 1, grade 1, premenopausal, age 47 at diagnosis.  For me, I was grateful that all I had to do was take tamoxifen after the lumpectomy and radiation.  I would have said no to ovarian suppression, and definitely no to removing ovaries if it had been suggested, which it wasn't.  So not all premenopausal women are doing ovarian suppression, especially with such non aggressive tumors such as yours and mine. 

Having gone naturally through menopause now, I would prefer not to be in menopause for many reasons.  The decrease in sex drive and response was a blow I wasn't expecting, as well as the aches and pains that seem to be the norm now, along with chronic difficulties with sleeping through the night.  My skin also seems to be wrinkling a lot more these days.  Tamoxifen seemed to make some of the menopause effects even worse, so I only did 3 years of it and then decided that I was done with hormonal therapy.  While I was on tamox, I felt like I was doing more than enough to treat the cancer, and felt that the fact it keeps estrogen out of the cancer cells was treatment enough for me.  I now prefer to keep whatever estrogen my body is still making, rather than stop it from being made at all with an AI. 

I now rely on healthy diet and regular exercise, as well as trying to keep healthier emotions, as I feel these factors could have contributed to me getting breast cancer.  I don't believe in treating things more aggressively than necessary, especially when it can cause other problems.  For me, quality of life is important.  And I'm almost 5 years out from my diagnosis now.