Aromasin for LCIS

I read the study and the results do look encouraging ( I think it said 65% reduction with aromasin versus 50% with tamoxifen and 38% with evista--correct me if I'm wrong). However, I already took the tamox for the full 5 years and now have been on evista for over 2.5 years (was diagnosed with LCIS 8 years ago). I'm wondering if my new oncologist will bring up aromasin at my Dec. visit. Fortunately, I've been able to tolerate both meds well with minimal SEs, so at this point, I really don't want to start a new medication with other possible SEs.   Are you going to be having close monitoring as well? I continue with alternating mammos and MRIs every 6 months with breast exams on the opposite 6 months.  Let us know how it goes.

Anne 

I will probably be on meds indefinitely, as the risk will LCIS does NOT go down over time. Fortunately, evista is probably something I can take for the long haul, as it is actually an osteoporosis medication. (no time limit as far as I know, like there is with tamox or AIs) I have been doing very well for 8 years with no further bisopsies needed. (they are not necessarily a "given" just because one gets a diagnosis of LCIS; although some do end up having repeated biopsies for various issues), If I was to need more biopsies, I might seriously consider PBMs, but not interested in that route at this point.

Anne 

Here's a link to the Aromasin package insert.  See the 1st page upper right corner.  Table 2 has side effects in early breast cancer vs. tamoxifen.  http://labeling.pfizer.com/showlabeling.aspx?id=523

I'm still confused about LCIS being called breast cancer.  I was told by two surgeons that it is a marker for possible future cancer, not cancer.  One oncologist  I saw said it was cancer, one said it was not cancer.  It seems still that doctors just can't seem to agree on what this is.

Has anyone been sent for pet scans, or other types of scans after their LCIS diagnosis?  I have a 6 month left breast only mammo coming up, and honestly, I feel like I just don't want to do this. 

Thanks Melissa. 

I will not have an MRI again due to my COPD.  I did it one time, but will not do it again, couldn't breath, it was extremely difficult. 

I totally agree with MelissaDallas.  Almost everything about LCIS (including the name) is controversial. 

Some oncologists consider LCIS as 'cancer', but probably most don't.  That's because its hard to define cancer.  Artists can draw pictures of cells that are clearly normal, and other pictures of cells that are clearly cancerous, but then there is this 'inbetween'.  Many people in the public consider cancer as the ability to metastasize.  LCIS and DCIS alone cannot metastasize.  Both can probably, under certain circumstances, develop into an invasive cancer that can metastasize, or someone may have an invasive cancer at the same time as LCIS and/or DCIS which can metastasize.   There isn't a sharp line between normal and cancerous.  Cancer is usually called 'uncontrolled growth', but we can't study live LCIS under the microscope; we can only look at dead LCIS cells under the microscope.

LCIS is a strange disease, because its almost always an incidental finding.  That means that its usually found when they find something suspicious in a mammogram (probably most commonly suspicious calcifications), and its suspicious enough to do a biopsy.  They often call these suspicious areas things like 'lesions'.  LCIS is often found not at these lesions, but adjacent to those lesions. 

If an LCIS patient goes on and does get worse breast cancer (i.e. DCIS-which more people consider cancer than they do LCIS - or invasive breast cancer), the DCIS or invasive cancer is often at an area that previously looked totally normal. 

So they don't know how all LCIS progresses.  They do think that a) some LCIS does eventually become breast cancer  (in other words, the LCIS is genetically related to the invasive breast cancer), b) most LCIS just stays in the breast and never becomes anything worse, and c) in other women who have LCIS  and later get invasive breast cancer, thebbreast cancer is totally unrelated genetically to their LCIS. 

I know there are several women here who have had immense trouble trying to stay perfectly still in very uncomfortable positions when they are getting imaging done.  I'm so sorry you have had a rough time too.