Estorgen levels on AIs

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froggie
froggie Member Posts: 92
edited October 2019 in Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After

Anyone on letrozole, anastrozole or exemestane have their blood estrogen (estradiol) levels checked after being on it for a while?


If so, was it with the standard blood estradiol lab test or ultrasensitive one?


Literature suggests that estradiol levels in breast cancer patients on AIs are all over the place and are dramatically lower with the ultrasensitive test. Trying to get a handle on this.


Thank you for reading.

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  • 7of9
    7of9 Member Posts: 833
    edited October 2019

    waiting to see responses, my onc told me they don't bother testing after ooph/hysterectomy ...just want to make sure there is no more of that crap left in me after recurrence

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  • Spoonie77
    Spoonie77 Member Posts: 925
    edited October 2019

    I am also following. my prior MOs said they wouldn't test levels at all. i thought it was bizarre and didn't make sense to me. How could they know my ovaries were shut down and how would they know when I didn't need further injections/menopausal without them? How would they know my hormones were at a "safe" level and actually doing what they were supposed to be doing? It just boggled my mind and drove me nuts, frankly. Even though i can't take endocrine treatment now due to allergy to the ovarian suppression meds, i'm still curious as to what others will share. Thanks for posting.

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  • LeesaD
    LeesaD Member Posts: 383
    edited October 2019
    My MO tested my estradiol levels when I first started anastrozole and was getting Zoladex shots for ovarian suppression until I could get my oopherectomy. He tested them two to three weeks after first Zoladex shot and then three times after that for three months. He said we needed to make sure the Zoladex shots were working as he said there’s women who can’t be suppressed on the shots so the AI’s would not work. He said there were women who actually got pregnant on suppression shots so that’s how they figured out not everyone can be suppressed. My levels were virtually undetectable every time they were tested so the shots were working. After my oopherectomy my MO said no need to test anymore.
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  • trinigirl50
    trinigirl50 Member Posts: 343
    edited October 2019

    You can just ask for the test yourself. I did. I was at post menopausal level before I started Femara (tested by oncologist). Then after 2 years I decided I wanted to know if Letrozole was working so asked for Estradiol test to be added when I was doing my 3 monthly bloodwork tests. The levels had dropped significantly.

    I fully intend to check again in another year.

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  • Scrafgal
    Scrafgal Member Posts: 631
    edited October 2019

    Ovarian Function Recovery (OFR) can happen after menopause and after the start of AIs...having tests periodically is the only way to really keep watch on the levels of estradiol...I am having mine checked next month and I started my AI in July...

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  • jessie123
    jessie123 Member Posts: 532
    edited October 2019

    I've read that some women become resistant to the AL's. If that happens why would we want to continue them - especially 10 years!! My MO told me that there is no test to determine estrogen levels. I wanted a baseline test and then future tests to make sure they work as they should. There are a number of articles online about the development of aromatase resistance. Does anyone know how they test for the resistance?

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