What hormonal therapy is best?

Options
ConfusedinNJ
ConfusedinNJ Member Posts: 3
edited September 2018 in Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After

hello community!

This is my first post. I am 33 and was diagnosed in March of this year with Stage 3 Invasive ductal ER+ with lymphnodes in my arm pit involved.

I immediately started chemo AC 4 treatments and Taxol 4 treatments. I completed that and had a bilateral mastectomy with expanders put in on August 7th. I will need to start radiation in a few weeks.

I started tamoxifen 2 weeks ago and havent noticed any side effects. My oncologist wants me to go into medically induced menopause which was a shock to me. I thought i had made it through all the hard stuff and had no clue this was even an idea. Now im scared of how menopause will effect me, and im not sure what hormonal therapy is even right for me.

I feel very lost throughout this because there isnt much data for people my age. My oncologist wants to put me on letrozole. I noticed there are trials for combinations with that and Afinitor. Im not sure if its approved to treat stage 3 yet without being in trial.

I guess im just looking for some advice and some people out there my age dealing with this or who have dealt with it at my age.

Theres also the oopherectomy. I am leaning towards that instead of the monthly lupron. Get these damn ovaries that are trying to kill me out of here!

Thanks for any insight

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • MexicoHeather
    MexicoHeather Member Posts: 365
    edited September 2018

    Yes. You've discovered the part that really stinks and that people without breast cancer don't understand: You have to keep those hormones down!

    It's trail and error: Every person is different. You will find the right one.

    Ask your gynecologist for vaginal strengthening therapy before the oopherectomy.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited September 2018

    Hi!

    The best hormonal therapy is the one you best tolerate! Seriously, aromatase inhibitors are slightly more effective than Tamoxifen when combined with ovarian suppression in pre-menopausal women.

    I am doing ovarian suppression (monthly Zoladex) and Aromasin. So, I'm chemically in menopause. At first, I had hot flashes, but those have dissipated. The worst thing is really my loss of bone density. I went from borderline osteopenic to full-blown osteoporosis in two years. I'm now taking Prolia for that. Regardless of whether you do ovarian suppression or get an oopherectomy, remember to do a baseline dexascan so your doctors can monitor your bone density.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • OCDAmy
    OCDAmy Member Posts: 873
    edited September 2018

    I was getting lupron injections and taking arimidex (Anastrozole ). I'm now in menopause and just take the Anatrozole.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • JoE777
    JoE777 Member Posts: 628
    edited September 2018

    I'm metastatic-stage 4- and will be on letrozole in combination with kisqali as first line until it doesn't work anymore and then will be put on a different AI.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ConfusedinNJ
    ConfusedinNJ Member Posts: 3
    edited September 2018

    thanks for some input. Do people find the different drugs have different side effects? I thought they all pretty much had the same side effects, that’s why I’m so confused as to what to take. I don’t want to blindly listen to my oncologist.

    Has anyone heard of the Afinitor drug for stage 3? It’s like I went through so much already and now I need to make a choice that could determine my fate. Very nerve wrecking. I’m sure you all understand

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • JaBoo
    JaBoo Member Posts: 520
    edited September 2018

    Hi, I'm 38. I'm on ovarian supression monthly shots right from the start of chemo. After chemo, I will probably take an AI. I haven't discussed it with my MO yet, just asked once.

    I wanted to say there is a group of girls in their 30's, you could ask there...

    https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/27/topics/757067?page=1

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories