Tamoxifen, anastrozole etc for more than ten years?

Good Morning Ladies,

Im also in this boat too. Ive been on Arimidex + Lupron for close to 4.5 years, due to the side effects I requested an appointment with my MO to spend time weighing the pros and cons in regards to coming off of these drugs. The other option would be taking Tamoxifen alone for the remainder 5 years. Im supposed to meet with her Tuesday. I plan on writing down tons of questions.

I cant help but be a bit fearful about what my risk for recurrence would be if I chose to remove the "security blanket" of Lupron and Arimidex. Im a younger patient who's risk for recurrence is high due to my age at diagnosis and a possible genetic mutation/variant.

I cant help think that it is disappointing that depriving a woman of estrogen is seen as top of the line medical care. My quality of life with these meds have decreased. However Im still here cancer free right? I wish we didnt have soo many side effects.

I'll be sure to report back about my conversation w/ my MO!

According to my MO there is no benefit to hormonal therapy past 10 years.

Just came to post about my appointment with my Oncologist this morning, here are the details;

I expressed my family physicians concern over my overall health; increased weight, obesity, high cholesterol, risk for prediabetes, high A1C and concern for my heart health. I strongly believe the Lupron is the biggest culprit. My MO agreed that Arimidex and Lupron can be stopped.

If it were not for my two positive lymph nodes, she told me she would have stopped all meds at 5 years completely. Therefore we are sticking to 10 years of therapy BUT with the remainder of the 5 years being solely Tamoxifen. Im quite alright with that.

She strongly believes that the 5 years of OS + AI got rid of any circulating cells but due to my 2 nodes and age of diagnosis, the remaining five years of Tamoxifen should be fine.

I think due to the nature of ER+PR+ BC coming back 10 - 20 years after the initial diagnosis alot of MO's push for 10 years of hormonal therapy depending on the patient.

I expressed my concern over a possible risk for reoccurrence now that the ovarian suppression will be out of the picture. Does having a period and increased mensuration increase my risk for recurrence? She stated that there have been studies showing that they're is a increased risk but those were NOT done in patients who had OS+AI for 5 years.

I hope this helps anyone out. Dont be afraid to schedule time to speak your physician!

A BIG thank you for this feedback from your physicians. It is very definitive and confirms what mine had said as well. I feel like I can confidently go off knowing that my treatment was appropriate and completed.

So I just ended up with a local ER+ recurrence while on tamoxifen. I had originally planned 10 years, but then decided probably 5 because of extremely poor quality of life on tamoxifen. Didn't expect a recurrence while still on it. Thinking it didn't work so well...I took it faithfully, while my lady parts shriveled up at age 42. Kept taking it. Missed two doses over 4 years. Once with a stomach bug and once while NPO for colonoscopy. So it's not that I didn't take it right. I did start vaginal estrogen a couple of months ago (out of pure desperation), but the new tumor is slow growing and sizeable enough that it's been there for awhile, long before I started that. It was embedded in scar tissue so mammogram and physical exams missed it. Good thing I didn't cancel my MRI...

Honestly don't know what they're going to do with me, with the tamoxifen and the fact I clearly don't tolerate my lady parts not having estrogen.