Should I stop taking Arimidex after 5 years?

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ktlearn
ktlearn Member Posts: 12
edited September 2019 in Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After

Hi. I was diagnosed with Stage 1 (Grade 1) IDC in April 2014 at age 54. I had a lumpectomy and 6 weeks of radiation. My MO prescribed 5 years of Arimidex (anastrozole) starting in July of that year.

I didn't have the greatest bones to begin with (mom and sister have osteoporosis), so I received injections of Prolia every 6 months after about a year on the AI. During the years, the Prolia injections had to be stopped for a period of 14 months, so I could have a tooth pulled and an implant done.

Besides experiencing a little bone loss, I really haven't had any side effects except for low libido and some stiffness in my joints that could very well be age - related. To combat bone loss, I have been doing yoga, walking a lot and taking Vitamin K (MK 7 form) and magnesium to channel the calcium with D that I take into my bones rather than into the blood vessels of my heart or onto my teeth in the form of plaque. I stopped the Prolia injections a year ago after we changed medical insurance companies and could no longer afford the injections.

My dilemma is this...I am in between medical oncologists in that my husband and I are preparing to move from one state to another. Originally, I was supposed to take the AI for 5 years which was standard protocol. My original MO came back from a conference a year ago and said maybe we should do it for 10 years. When I last saw her last November and expressed my concern about what it was doing to my bones, she said she would be happy with any amount of time I took it past 5 years.

I know the Arimidex is causing bone loss, so I am very concerned about that. Of course, I don't want to get BC again either. All my mammograms have been fine since the surgery, and I am now 5 years past the surgery and radiation. I was also told that my cancer had been extremely slow-growing.

Are there others of you who only took an AI for 5 years, stopped, and have been fine since? Or do any of you have any thoughts or experiences that might help me make the decision?


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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited September 2019

    There is a genomic test that may be helpful in determining both your risk of long term recurrence and the benefit of the medication beyond five years, it is called the Breast Cancer Index test. Here is a link.

    https://www.answersbeyond5.com/

    Another possibility is to continue taking anti-hormonals, but take Tamoxifen instead - in postmenopausal women it can help build bone. Good luck, wishing you the best.

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  • Ingerp
    Ingerp Member Posts: 2,624
    edited September 2019

    Gosh. I'm < 1 year in, not having much in the way of SEs, but if I were in your situation, I'd at least take a break. What if you stopped for a month or two to see how you feel? Or maybe just to celebrate a bit? Even if you eventually return to an anti-hormonal. Again, I've been tolerating the AI well, but I *know* there are lots of little things going on that I would love to live without, even for a while. I also wonder how much benefit there really is by extending beyond five years. Asking about the BCI is certainly a good idea.

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