Letrozole and other Aromatase inhibitors for Stage IV

S3K5

I am starting this new thread since I have not seen a thread for Aromatase Inhibitors for Stage IV. I started taking Letrozole this week and I was wondering if anyone else has any experience with AIs in Stage IV setting, after our bodies have gone through so many different chemo regimens. Letrozole was tolerable for me 11 years ago but don't know what to expect the second time around after undergoing toxic chemotherapy such as Taxol and CMF. I am hoping the SEs are not too bad and it actually works to keep the liver mets stable.

If anyone here has experience with Letrozole, please chime in. I also worry about going off chemo and rely on Letrozole alone to keep the liver mets stable. Well, I'll find out in April 2020 if this Letrozole has worked.

Have a great week!

candy-678

Hi.

I am on Letrozole with Ibrance. Also, I use Lupron since I was premenopausal when we found the MBC. I am a little over 2 years and counting. My first line therapy. I had IV chemo--AC--for 2 treatments at first because we thought I was Stage 2. But when we found the MBC, we stopped the IV chemo and moved to I/L and Lupron. Since I use 3 meds, sometimes I cannot tell if the side effects are from one med or the other. My side effects are: Hair thinning, periodic mouth sores, joint pain (but I also have rheumatoid arthritis), constipation, heartburn, hot flashes, and fatigue. My most irritating side effects are hot flashes, fatigue, joint pain, and constipation. But I think that overall the meds are doable. They are keeping my cancer stable. And I wonder what the next treatment plan will have in the way of side effects--possibly worse.

S3K5

candy-678, when I was on Ibrance/Faslodex combo , I had similar side effects - joint pain, constipation, hot flashes, and fatigue which was caused by low WBC. I had to get blood transfusion to bring up the blood count. But it was tolerable. My GI doctor had suggested that I use Miralax every other day, which helped with constipation. For joint pain I was prescribed Celebrex ; this caused heartburn so I was given Dexilant, which helped.

Now I am on Letrozole only (no Ibrance) and I am concerned if this will work on my liver mets.