TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP

will removal of ovaries for premenopausal women reduce the risk of recurrence for er positive who will be on lupron and AI? or is lupron and AI enough?

specialK,i am 44 years old and i will be taking AI and i have already started Lupron. thanks

Hap - our diagnosis look about the same although I haven't had cancer previously. Had a intercerebral bleed 10 years ago and my recovery from that has left me grateful. I did 8 rounds of taxol but the neuropathy got bad and I quit. (I too had the feeling that I should finish it for my family but my MO said I had had enough to make if work.) Side effects left me within a few weeks. Herceptin has been fine. I'm having some joint pain, especially first thing in the morning, from the daily pills (tried to go back to get the spelling of it and lost the whole message) but it is manageable and gets better as the day goes on. It hasn't been uncomfortable enough that I don't continue with life as it was before. My very best friend lived with stage 4 for 5 years and entered hospice care about the time I was diagnosed. She never let herself be a victim and I learned much from her, including I think, that I will know when I have had enough. I'm guessing you will too. Not a lot of us seniors on these threads so know especially that I am thinking about you and do understand your reluctance to have lots of invasive treatments.

HapB, I used Penguin cold caps, and they work really well with weekly taxol. I wouldn't say I had no side effects from taxol - but they weren't bad by comparison with other chemo regimens.

It took me 4 months to have enough hair to go without a wig, and I took Biotin, 5,000mcg a day, I also used Bosley shampoo from my hairdresser.

Four months is about right. I finished chemo in December and was going wig-less by March. It was quite a shock for my students as I went from someone with shoulder length-hair to a very short do in a few days.

Kae my kids couldn't handle it either. I had to wear scarves all the time.

I finished chemo in October and went hatless in January. It was summer and so hot. My hair was so short but I thought it's the other persons problem not mine. Last week I had my first haircut. More like a trim really to try and sort out my grey poodle mop of hair. My echo results are considered normal at 58 a drop from 64 to 68 in the beginning. I only have 4 herceptin to go so if I keep plodding on she'll be right. I'm so looking forward to finishing the herceptin as I will then find out what side effects can be attributed to letrozole. Actually today is one year since my surgery what a crazy journey I'd much rather not be on. Take care everyone

I did not lose any nails! I had one that started to lift but that was it. Now that I have completed the 12 weeks of Taxol it is back to normal.

I am on AC right now and it is totally kicking my butt! But I only have one more of these and I am done! Yay!!!!!

After my last Chemo on June 12 I have a few weeks of "rest" then I have a total Mastectomy on July 19th. I am told I will need to have at least 4 nodes removed and then they will test the others at the time of surgery to see if more need to removed. Then I will have rads for 5 weeks. When I started this journey I never thought I would get through Chemo, Seemed like so long.

My MO talked to me yesterday about what would come after all this. Herceptin for a year then Tamoxifin (SP) for 10 years she said. Maybe talked about removing my ovaries, So many things to think about. If they remove my ovaries will I not need to Tamoxifin for 10 years???? If removing them doesn't make a difference why do it? Anyones else dr talk about this? I am only 43, and where as I am done with having kids and could care less about anything like that.

Suburbs, sorry to hear you're waiting for test results (again). My eyebrows have never fully recovered from chemo; I just pencil them in a bit. And, my poor eyelashes are still thin and stubby.

Shelabela, Yeah, AC was worse than Taxol. The SOFT study showed that ovarian suppression (or an oopherectomy) + Tamoxifen was more effective than Tamoxifen alone for younger (pre-menopausal) women. You could do ovulation suppression (monthly shot of Zoladex or shot of Lupron every three months), but an oopherectomy accomplishes the same thing. The SOFT study also showed that ovarian suppression + an aromatase inhibitor was better than tamoxifen or an AI alone for younger cancer patients. I'm currently doing Zoladex + Aromasin, but will talk to my new OB/GYN about an oopherectomy on Monday. My old OB/GYN was not a fan of oophs; he said that overall, women who kept their ovaries lived longer than women who didn't. But, I'm not sure that I want to take Zoladex for several more years. Hope this helps!

Shelabela,

You can Google "SOFT study and breast cancer" to find info about it.

Here's a link to the journal article:

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1412379#t=article

Hi All- posted last week about anti-depressants and interaction with Tamoxfin-apparently almost no one else is having these concerns so I am going to broaden my question as to what folks did to fight depression- wonder if everyone else just toughed it out-

I am crying everyday and not sure why- the remaining Hercepton treatments aren't bad and don't think the reconstruction will be as hard as the mastectomy so not sure why I am completely breaking down now. Did anyone else take anti-depressants to get through that - is it a bad idea-- I cant go back to work crying every morning- tried meditation, journaling, exercise, writing gratitude lists- not moving forward - just cried the entire way on my walk- at my wits end

hi sportsmom. I avoided anti depressants for a few months but a couple of days of intermittent crying helped me realize that I needed the help. The multitude of treatments and steps one faces when triple positive make a tough journey even more difficult. I haven't taken them long enough to know if they are working but I am glad I started.

My first Chemo session went very well, no allergic reactions, thank the Lord!  Feel very tired from the Benadryl but, it may also be from the lack of sleep last night from the steroids.  Long day, arrived at 9 and left at 4.  Neulasta at 6:30 tomorrow evening and _{I have been taking my Claritin to offset some of the pain that is associated with that.  Felling good, feeling positive.}

_{Cross posted} 

moody - glad to hear your first chemo went well. Stay positive, take care