Is there proof?

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RaiderGirl
RaiderGirl Member Posts: 419
edited September 2014 in Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After

I am on letrozole just 2 months now. This is suppose to reduce estrogen by 90%. How do they know its working? Wheres the proof?

The MO never mentioned a hormone profile blood tests but I think it makes sense to test for estrogen levels.

Have any letrozole patients here know what their estrogen levels actually are?

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited September 2014

    Since they don't prescribe letrozole unless you are firmly in menopause they usually don't test circulating estrogen levels unless there is some doubt about your menopausal status.  I don't suppose it would hurt to ask, but if they didn't test it prior to starting the med, it would be hard to know what your baseline was. 

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  • Imheretoo
    Imheretoo Member Posts: 217
    edited September 2014

    I actually had my estrogen levels tested right before I started on the AI anastrozole, because my oncologists put the weird doubt that I might not actually be in menopause and they wanted to make absolutely sure that I was before prescribing an AI and not tamoxifen.   (I've actually been in menopause for 12 years, but they put a doubt that it was really menopause since it started at a quite early age, and I've been totally negligent about getting gyno checks) .  My (normal for menopause) estrogen level before starting drug was indicated on report as "<10"    (Menopause range is 1 - 28)     So I think that means it was below level of detection.     So, my point is,   that whether that  remaining amount is  knocked down by 90% or less or not at all, getting another estrogen level check, as done on standard lab tests, won't show it, because it would still just get reported as "<10".

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited September 2014

    Here is some info regarding levels, and there is also a discussion regarding androgens being converted to estrogen - the process that is hopefully halted by aromatase inhibitor drugs.

    https://www.inkling.com/read/clinical-gynecologic-endocrinology-infertility-8th/chapter-17/hormone-production-after

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