estrogen blockers

patricekelly

Hello all,
I stopped chemo in November due to neuropathy and continued on with herceptin
and perjeta once every 3 weeks. Thankfully, my last scans were stable. My onc said that there is not enough evidence about estrogen blockers and if they should be used without progression of disease. So far, I have not used them, but she said it was my decision.
With my cancer being estrogen driven I am not sure if this is the right decision. I am 45 years old and this past week Im feel really pre-menstraul. I have not had a period since my first round of chemo. I am scared of having a period, and what that means about estrogen in my body.
Has anyone experienced this? Thanks
Patrice
Dx Stage IV Her +, April 2015 with collapsed lung-mets to lung, liver, questionable bone, and some nodes
Chest tube placed to relieve 5 liters of fluid in right lung
1 round of cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin until tumor biopsy confirmed Her2+
May 2015-began taxol/herceptin/perjeta
chest tube removed
3 lung taps to remove continued fluid problem and shortness of breath
September 2015- plural tube placed in lung
Continued with taxol/herceptin/perjeta
Scans slowly improved
December 2015-discontinue Taxol due to increased neuropathy in feet and hands
February 2016-plorax drain removed, fluid issue resolved. Bottom of right lung remains collapsed, but feels ok.
Continuing on herceptin/perjeta
(lost 5 yr. old daughter to cancer in 2011, after a 2.5 year battle)

Longtermsurvivor

Hi Patrice,

Welcome to bco - I see this is your first post, but that you've been a bco member for a while now.

What a time you've already had of it! Good news that your HER2 treatment has been effective, but I'm uncertain why your doctor wants to wait for progression to use anti-hormonal, estrogen-blocking drugs. For many women they're quite effective and have tolerable side effects.

I don't know where you are, but in N. America and Europe estrogen blockers are usually used in women with advanced breast cancer, whether they are premenopausal or postmenopausal.

In pre-menopausal women (can be checked with a simple blood test), women often receive tamoxifen pills and some type of ovarian suppression (drugs or surgery).

Post-menopausal women are now usually prescribed an aromatase inhibitor pill (Arimidex, Femara or Aromasin) at the beginning and may be switched to Faslodex injections later.

Your oncologist says whether to take them is your decision, but it sounds like you need more information and support to make that decision.

Let's hear from other bco members about how they made their decisions.

And, yes, I tried tamoxifen and megace in the 1990s for premenopausal, hormone positive breast cancer. Neither was effective. By the time the aromatase inhibitors came along, my cancer was hormone negative, so I didn't try them until 2008. Femara was good to me for 3 years, but none of the other anti-hormonal drugs really worked. Estrogen itself worked well for a year, moderately well for a second year. And now Femara helps with the pleural mets, though not the liver mets. My cancer has continued to morph throughout its long occupancy in my body. Nothing about my course of cancer is typical, so I hesitate to hold up my treatment course as something to follow or avoid.

Welcome and warmest wishes, Stephanie

Goodie16

Hi Patrice,

Stephanie has already provided you with some great info.

My only course of treatment has been hormonals. I stopped tamoxifen this past December due to SEs and began Lupron injections (to suppress my ovaries) in January. Unfortunately, even though I'm almost 52, my estrogen levels weren't dropping enough with Lupron to start on an AI. So I'll be having my ovaries removed in the next few weeks and then will begin on Arimidex.

Please question your doctor as to why he/she doesn't want to give you hormonals until you have a progression. Hormonals can be quite effective at preventing a progression instead of treating one.

Best of luck!

Cafelovr

I went through the exact same thing. I went through chemopause and when I finished and went on Herp alone, my periods came back. I knew I had to have my ovaries out at some point, so i just went ahead and had everything taken out! No regrets!! I continue to take Tamoxifen...I'm into my 6th year.