Ladies in EARLY 50's.....cancer dx....

I have a strong suspicion my cancer is hormone related as:

-Nobody in my family of origin has BC or any C. Everyone has lived to 85-96

- Dx was about 2.5 years after menopause

- I was exposed to an endocrine disruptor (DES)

- DES daughters have high rate of POST menopausal BC.

I've wondered the same. I was diagnosed in October and I am 50. October was my 10th month with no period. I have been in perimenopause for several years having hot flashes and extremely long periods sometimes up to 45 days long and very heavy. Hormones were so out of whack. I will find out at the end of the the month if I am officially in menopause based on lab work

I was 53, I went into menopause at 44, my periods stopped completely at age 44.

Yes, my oncologist was happy that I was post menopausal by 9 years he prescribed AI drugs.

53, I was just diagnosed IDC grade 2, one spot 7mm cancer, right next to it another 9mm not tested yet. Still debating lumpectomy or mastectomy. I am thinking since it is Hormone driven(ER+, PR+), Hormone therapy should work for me. But I have some heart issue and it is on the right side, is it better for me to do mastectomy to avoid radiation? Still debatim

I was diagnosed at 50 at my first breast screening mammogram and was not menopausal, however the month of diagnosis was my last period.

Hello Jons Girl,

My breasts were described as heterogeneously dense as well, which may be reason I didn’t feel 2.1cm lump. I will make sure I stay on top of my mammograms and ask for extra imaging if I have any doubts.

I was diagnosed at age 51. I was considered high risk because my Mom had bc and died from it in 1976. So, I had a baseline mammogram at 30, and then annually beginning at age 35. Mine was caught via mammogram and ultrasound, this was the only year that I was a couple of weeks late getting it done. (my dog had jumped on me and my left breast got scratched, causing nipple to scab over, I thought this was an injury but ended up as bc) Following a stereotactic and surgical biopsy it was determined that I was Stage 1b and my surgeon recommended radiation to follow. My tumor was also downgraded after surgery from a 2 to a 1, the least aggressive type. I didn't need chemo due to a low Oncotype score of 5. Now, we were uncertain of my menopausal status, so my gynecologist did bloodwork and I was told that based on the results that I was post menopausal, my medical oncologist prescribed Arimidex, however, I was still having episodes of bleeding, I stopped taking the Arimidex and went to another oncologist, who informed me that a woman is not completely postmenopausal until her blood work shows that she is AND she has gone one complete year with no bleeding. I then was switched to Tamoxifen. I am now 3-1/2 years out and having some side effects but able to function. I was prescribed birth control pills for many years and I do wonder if that contributed to my ending up getting bc, I am brca negative and have no predisposition to any type of cancer. I am ER/PR positive Her2 negative. The last doctor who prescribed me the mini pill (progestin only) advised me that I could safely take these until I went through menopause, she was a GP, when I saw the Gynecologist, she told me that this pill was forcing me to keep having periods. I still am angry at myself for not questioning the GP or I should have consulted the gynecologist way earlier. I also ended up getting two uterine biopsies and a DNC since starting Tamoxifen, all clear there. Anyway, you must truly advocate the yourself.

Hi Jons girl, I was pre-menopausal and very regular at 53, two weeks before 54 bday. Had my kids at 39 and 41. Got pregnant right away, no fertility drugs. I read both of theses are risk factors, late menopause and having kids "late." Most of my friends were done for years. I was also never on birth control pills, which I thought was a good thing, I guess not. Now I'm hearing it might help prevent cancer? I was diagnosed after first 3d mammo. With ILC I don't trust mammos. I had a 13 cm LCIS, which obviously was growing for years. It grows in sheets. and with fibrocystic breasts full of lumps, I ignored lumps. I should have been screened better. I didn't realize 3d was at other facilities within the same company! years before and no one told me. And I have a friend that gets periodic mri screening due to dense breasts. Mad at DRs, radiation place..... Two of my doctors recommended going to AIs and skipping tamoxifen. It is shown to work better, especially with ILC. Sloan wanted to do Lupron shots to shut down my ovaries, but I want them out. They are too strong, I don't need them, and I don't want another med with side effects that might not work. With a BMX I don't get any more screening at all, unless I put in silicone implants, they do periodic mris to check for leakage. The system is messed up.

I have been wondering about all of this too. Mine was caught on yearly 3D mammo. I have gone religiously since I was 38. I was diagnosed 3 days after my 51st birthday this past January. In September of last year, I had an endometrial ablation (no more periods, now) but I am not truly in menopause yet according to blood work from MO following my lumpectomy. I am in the midst of radiation treatments now and will be taking tamoxifen following.

My family history is a shit-show - mom had BC twice, two different kinds - two different breasts. One lumpectomy, one mastectomy. I have a multitude of aunts, uncles and cousins that died from or survived colon, prostate, uterine, cervical, liver cancer and one cousin that had ovarian and died. So, today, I did the gross 'spit in the tube' genetic test and am about to mail it off at the FedEx facility. I PRAY for no positive genes, but based on my family history - would rather be armed with knowledge if I do. But...... I am scared of those results that I won't get for two weeks... uuuuuugggggghhhhhh.