HER2+ Tamoxifen Risk?

Hi, I was diagnosed with BC in May 2009 at 29yrs old. I haven't heard about this. I am HER2+ and have been taking Tamoxifen for 18months- I hate it! I'm trying to make it to my 2yr date and then going to stop taking it. I would love to hear anything you find regarding Tamoxifen not being safe for HER2 cells to help make my decision even more easier!

My Onc strongly discouraged Tamox and Her2 I am on Zoladex shots instead. He is a well known ONC and a big researcher and works with MD Anderson....and he said their is a subset of studies that point to in some the tamox accelerates the her2 growth in some cases.

When I was first diagnosed I had a copy of one of the studies and now cant put my hands on it. I see him in OCT and ask again. My other Onc is ok with Tamox and I know there are ladies on here that have taken it and been fine. However on the Her2 thread there was a thread at one time where some of the younger gals 45 an under that were posting that there ONC's were against TAMOX as well. I dont think there is a definitive answer. 

Zoladex is just like Lupron, and it has reduced my levels of estrogen to a 3 which is as low as most Post menopausal women on AI's.

Look up the zebra study as it clearly shows that lupron/zoladed is equally as effective as Tamox.

Also I was 41 at dx and very premenopausal, I recently took a break from the zoladex and my period came right back so it is presumed that your fertility would be intact! 

I was diagnosed a year to the month of my last period. Newly postmeno, I was put on Aromasin after finishing chemo. 3 months of suddenly feeling/moving like I was 95, hand/finger painful neuropothy and becoming a dried up prune inside and out, I was then put on Tamoxifen. My Onc. doesn't feel there's enough research that proves this is a problem for us triple positives. He too is well known and a researcher himself. Even if it proves true that it might increase a risk of reoccurance by some minimal percentage, that still leaves a far greater percentage that it won't. At 90% hormonal positive, I feel strongly that this part of the treatment is huge for me. And I have fared much better on the Tamox. It's not without it's side effects, but I can say that I have as close to normal a quality of life that I'd have had without getting bc. I use the common expression that recur. is a crapshot but at least I'm doing what I can to prevent that. Had my numbers been lower, I might feel differently but since their not, I'm fine with taking the Tamox.

MY ER is 20% and my PR is 10%,  my Onc said that it  was the Chemo and Herceptin that was the most benefit for me. I think he will still want me to take Tamox when I see him as I'm now premenopausal again.

LL 

Denny- Aromasin might not be bad for you just because it was for me. If nothing else, this site reinforces the fact that meds affect everyone differently. There are plenty of ladies here who tolerate Aromasin and the other AL's much better than I did. Anything is worth a try! Hopefully you will get lucky in your unluckiest of situations.

Wishing you the best!