How soon after BMX did you start tamoxifen

Mom2fourplusmore
Mom2fourplusmore Member Posts: 183
edited August 2016 in Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After

I was diagnosed with stage 1 IDC in May. They found 4 tumors with a mix of IDC and ILC during my BMX on June 30th. The OncoDX came back low but they retested because they didn't think they considered all 4 tumors. It's now 7 weeks after my surgery and I have done nothing. No chemo. No rads. And no hormones, anyone else go this long before any treatments? Should I be worried?

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Lisey
    Lisey Member Posts: 1,053
    edited August 2016

    My oncologist told me to just start taking Tamoxifen while waiting for my Mammaprint results, so I began 3 weeks after surgery. She said 'if' I needed chemo then we'd simply stop Tamox and restart later. You might as well start taking it... I can't hurt

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Mom2fourplusmore
    Mom2fourplusmore Member Posts: 183
    edited August 2016

    I have been contacting the MO every week. I just called and found out that the company messed up the 2nd OncoDX test. I'm so unamused. So now they have to get new tissue and start all over. So 2 months out and still now idea what I will be doing. The nurse said this never happens and that she appologizes. I explained that this leaves me a little nervous on what lies ahead. And that I understand they can not control the testing facility but in the future I would have been grateful for a phone call letting me know the status rather then making me have to call and harass people. I explained that the fact they have not followed through twice already in the beginning of my treatment leaves me disheartened and makes me question the level of care down the road.......so now I will be going somewhere else I guess.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • magiclight
    magiclight Member Posts: 8,690
    edited August 2016

    Mom..best when providers say that something never happens after it just happened tells me that their version of truth and mine are very different. Good that you are seeking care elsewhere when they confound that lie by not contacting you in an appropriate timeframe. So sorry you had to harass them as that does not do good things to your already heightened stress level. (((Hugs)))

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • BarredOwl
    BarredOwl Member Posts: 2,433
    edited August 2016

    Hi:

    Although Lisey received that advice, in another case (in 2016), a member here received advice from her MO, affiliated with an NCI-designtated cancer center, that the MO would not recommend taking Tamoxifen prior to adjuvant (post-surgery) chemotherapy (at least in her particular case).

    NCCN guidelines for breast cancer (Version 2.2016) indicate (emphasis added by me): "Chemotherapy and endocrine therapy used as adjuvant therapy should be given sequentially with endocrine therapy following chemotherapy."

    I do not know what evidence may support this particular sequence (chemotherapy followed by endocrine therapy), or whether there might be appropriate exceptions to this sequence, or if so, when they might apply.

    Therefore, please seek current, case-specific, expert professional advice from a medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of breast cancer about the idea of starting/stopping adjuvant endocrine therapy before chemotherapy.

    BarredOwl

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Mom2fourplusmore
    Mom2fourplusmore Member Posts: 183
    edited August 2016

    magiclight, thanks. I was hoping that I wasn't overacting. I was wondering if it was a lie also. None the less the practice does appear to be very disorganized. It's hard to have faith in doctors when this is how things are handled.


    BarredOwl, it seems like one Dr will tell you one thing and another will say the opposite for what appears to be no other reason then to disagree. I wondered what the affects of hormones might have on chemo too. The Dr didn't give it to me yet because she's not sure what is next. Today she did say I could take it now if I wanted. I chose to wait for the rest of the results to come back. But my MO didn't seem too confident. Thanks for the insight. I'm glad I made the choice I did now. Looks like it's better after chemo. Than

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • BarredOwl
    BarredOwl Member Posts: 2,433
    edited August 2016

    Hi Momto2fourplusmore:

    Differences of opinion may sometimes reflect an area where there is more than one suitable option, and the choice entails exercise of some medical judgment. In other cases, there may be little relevant clinical data available on a particular question or there may be issues with the available data, such as limitations or weaknesses in the existing studies, poor representation of one's particular situation in the study groups, and/or possible conflicting studies.

    To seek additional expert input and to minimize any possible further delay once test results arrive, you may wish to line up a second opinion medical oncologist at this time, in case results are not clear-cut (quite common).

    BarredOwl


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Mom2fourplusmore
    Mom2fourplusmore Member Posts: 183
    edited August 2016

    BarredOwl, I'm stuck in limbo for right now. I will be changing my oncologist. However I can't change until I get the OncoDX results back. The new Dr says he needs all test results so here I wait.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories