10 YEARS OR 5 YEARS ON HORMONE TREATMENT?

Hi Lily, I did 4 years AI and went off. I asked my onco about the research and my situation having had a high oncodx number and ilc. He said he hadn't seen any supporting data of staying on past 5 years. He goes to all the latest symposiums. He did say I could go on tamoxifen but wasn't pushing it at all. From what I have read my absence of pr is an indication tamoxifen might not be effective.

My case maybe different I was stage 1 and no nodes involved one idc and one ilc also er positive only.

Oncologist and Gynecologist both are suggesting that I stay on for ten years............

Lily,

Did you ever have an Oncotype? I'm pretty sure those recommendations are based on 10 yrs if medication.

I just saw my surgeon speak last week and she said they are recommending 10 yrs now because ER+ cancers are more likely to reoccur in yrs 6-10 and later than the first 5, as is the case with Triple Negative.

I think this is the latest study I saw about that http://www.mdedge.com/acssurgerynews/article/105843/breast-cancer/significant-risk-relapse-remains-er-positive-breast

Not an actual article, but my MO goes to the San Antonio BC conferences every year...and if there are others, she goes to those too. She told me at my last check up--Feb 2017--that research now says 10 years, not 5, and that she believes further research in the future may predict that those of us with ER+ will be on some kind of AI for the rest of our lives.

Lily,

I don't know why the link I posted before doesn't look live (maybe because I did it ob my phone?) but if you copy and paste the URL into a browser, it definitely talks about recurrence rates for strongly ER+ BC (which includes many ILCs).

I emailed my onco when the 10 year study came out, wondering if I should go back on it. She told me NO. She looks at case by case patients and doesn't buy into the sweeping-everyone-into-one ideology.

I think that ILC tends to recur more the further out we get, so maybe that is why the 6-10 years and nothing to do with meds, but who knows. These drugs have huge side effects for many women so it is definitely a struggle trying to decide.

I discussed the recent research with my doc last year. He and the onc had initially decreed 10 years for me, due to stage 3 and ILC. The way I understand it, late recurrence is somewhat higher for ILC than for IDC, so longer protection makes sense for ILC. With the more recent research, doc said that it still leaves questions to be answered. For now, he is suggesting 7.5 years, and when that time is up, we look at my condition, any further research etc. and decide what to do.

I would be extremely cautious taking these medication especially for an extended period of time. Definitely have bone scans.

Not true Meow13

The MA.17R study showed that 10 years on Letrozole was significantly better than 5 years at preventing recurrence.

The BIG 1–98 trial also suggested that patients with invasive lobular carcinoma may derive more benefit with letrozole compared to tamoxifen.

I have been on Femara for 6 years and will be on it for at least 10 years on the advice of my surgeon The facts from real research will keep me drug compliant!!

...I chose my medical oncologist, surgeon and radiation oncologist for their involvement in current and progressive cancer research! They also shaped my surgical decisions (MA.20 study...no axilla dissection for me!)...radiation choices..treatments....fasting through chemo ......and lifestyle now....reducing weight reduces recurrence risk.

I do exercise each day and keep the weight down to manage the side effects of the AI..but consider that a small price to pay! I do have a regular bone scan and they are fine... weight bearing exercise helps to keep bone dense.

It really comes down to each persons own assessment of the risk/benefit of a particular treatment.

Meow if you're losing your eyesight then ALS are definitely not right for you. How many years have you been on it?

Sorry, having read the above discussion, for the sake of clarity and accuracy I just have to point a common confusion in terminology:

DEXA Scan = dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. It is used to measure bone loss, diagnose osteoporosis, and assess an individual's risk for developing fractures.

Bone Scan = Skeletal scintigraphy. It is a nuclear medicine procedure that uses small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose and assess the severity of a variety of bone diseases and conditions, including fractures, infection, and cancer. For breast cancer patients it can be used to identify and monitor bone metastases.

Yes, Kira - that test is the BCI (Breast Cancer Index) that I referred to. I mentioned it because the thread in general has to do with the question of 5 or 10 years on treatment.

I'm so sorry that you've relapsed, Kira. Did that occur while you were still on Aromasin? (I'm not quite clear on that.) Hope you're starting to feel better after your sx. Take care.