How soon to start taking hormonal therapy after surgery?

I did not do rads, but I don't think the combo of rads and hormone therapy is considered to be a problem. I did start AI's while I was still on Herceptin, and all was fine. It would be best for your mom to start the therapy as soon as possible, especially since she is skipping chemo.

I did not have chemo, did surgery, rads then arimidex. My onc wanted me to wait until after rads for the hormone therapy to minimize side effects. I believe I could have started hormone therapy right away and am sorry I waited.

If I am reading your post correctly, it does not sound as though your mother's onc particularly recommends undergoing both treatments simultaneously, but is willing to allow her to do so. I can tell you my onc strongly advised against my starting my aromatase inhibitor until a couple of weeks after my last rads treatment.

I suggest a conversation (in person or by telephone) with your mum and her onc (assuming she is open to this) about his recommendations, hesitations, and suggestions in this area. Each patient is different, and, while rads only lasts a few weeks, aromatase inhibitors represent a five-year (or longer) commitment, which can be difficult enough under the best of circumstances.

I did neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemo so time after surgery wa. not play as 3 weeks after surgery I started 12 weekly Taxol. I started 25 rads a week after last Taxol. A week after starting rads, I started Femara (it was not then available as the generic form - letrozole then). Have been on Femara/letrozole for 5 1/2 yrs with no issues (will be on 'it' 'forever').

Rads were easy for me. I had been completely and utterly EXHAUSTED throughout Taxol but every day through rads, I felt better. I do not have (nor did I have during rads) any SE from Femara/letrozole. Some do but there is no way of knowing beforehand. A discussion with her Dr would be a good idea to discuss her concerns. Don't know how young your Mum is -I was 63 when DXd.

Reemember there is no 'One Size Fits All' when it comes treating BC. We are are each unique, as are our Drs. Not all BCs are the same same, even within similar DXs.

My MO told me to wait until after my radiation was completed before I started taking the Aromatase Inhibitor (Arimidex/Anastrazole).   However, in my case, I was no where near menopause at the time of my bc diagnosis.  I could only start taking the AI's once I was artificially induced into menopause.  My MO started my zoladex shots to suppress my ovaries immediately after I finished my radiation tx, and that is when I started the Arimidex/Anastrazole.  After 3 months of the zoladex shots, I had my ovaries removed.

Good luck to your mom.