MD Anderson?

Susan- Sorry for the slow response. I haven't visited here for the past week. I opted for Femara over Tamoxifen because of some early evidence suggesting that AIs might be more effective in delaying/preventing recurrence. I was also concerned about potential side effects of Tamoxifen, especially blood clots in the legs. I previously had a blood clot in a superficial vein during a brief stint on birth control pills when I was in my 20s and was told that I should not take the pill again because of this. Really my main issue was feeling more confident in AIs overall. I've been happy with this choice in that so far I've had minimal side effects. The recent information about Tamoxifen perhaps being not as effective for ILC definitely reinforced my feeling good about my decision. The intial plan I was offered was the 2 years Tamoxifen then switching to an AI but there are different ways you can do it. More women seem to be being started on AIs initially, even pre-menopausal women as long as they have an additional treatment to supress ovarian function (oopherectomy or a drug like Lupron). I initially was getting Lupron every 3 months as "insurance" that I was really in menopause. On my last visit my oncologist decided I could discontinue it. He is going to check my hormone levels when I go for my next follow up on the 19th.

Thanks for all your input so far. Sherri I agree re: staying close to home. I am always curious about other women's treatment experiences. I have definitely found that it pays to do my homework, 2 years of Tamoxifen and then 5 years of an AI has been the "gold standard" but I think we will see this changing. The AIs are relatively new and as a result there is new research coming out all the time.  The important thing obviously is to be on the drug that works for you!

Interesting. On a side note- raising more questions than you answer is a great quality in a researcher. To me this indicates true curiosity and desire for understanding. Others would be wise to follow his example- we'd all be better off. So many researchers fall into the trap of trying to prove their own theories/hypotheses or slipping into "group-think" and following the pack- not exactly the path to developing the new and innovative treatment approaches that those of us here in the breast cancer trenches need!