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How important is taking hormone blockers after surgery for IDC?

Posted by cadunkin @cadunkin, Sep 5, 2022

I’m 71 & diagnosed with IDC. The tumor was very small, clean margins & no lymph node involvement. After much research & discussion with my oncologist I am leaning toward 3 weeks of radiation & no hormone blocking drugs. I understand that there is more risk of cancer returning, but the difference in that risk doesn’t seem worth the side effects of the drugs. It’s important to me to remain active so the bone loss, joint pain & fatigue would greatly affect my quality of life. I would greatly appreciate all discussion on others that have made this decision & how they are doing. All of it is scary! Thanks much everyone.

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callalloo | @callalloo | May 8, 2023

I think the simple answer is that it would depend upon one's risk of recurrence for cancer. There are no tests currently that can give definitive perfect information to answer that issue but there are genomic tests that can infer risk parameters.

I had a lumpectomy 18 months ago and declined anastrazole, an aromatase inhibitor, after trying it and not feeling comfortable with the side effects.

But my decision was made easier by the fact that the cancer was very small, 5mm, caught early, accompanied by a clear sentinel lymph node biopsy, and OncotypeDX score showed me at very low risk of recurrence (if it's statistical model is valid and the oncology industry seems to think it one of the important genomic tests available so I'm going with that vote of confidence). And I will be routinely monitored every 6 months, with mammo, ultrasound, bloodwork including tumor markers and physical evaluation. I'm also older. The risk of recurrence for the exact same cancer would be many times higher were I, say, in my 30s. So a lot of factors can come into play and each person needs to be informed about them so able to make the decision that feels most 'right.'

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sharon44r | @sharon44r | 3 days ago
In reply to @ssalget "After several biopsies, I was diagnosed with Invasive Lobular BC , Hr+, HER2-in both breasts in..." + (show)
@ssalget

After several biopsies, I was diagnosed with Invasive Lobular BC , Hr+, HER2-in both breasts in August 2021. I had both breasts and sentinal nodes removed in late October 2021. Nodes and margins clear. OncoDX is 11. I started letrozole in December. I developed severe carpal tunnel and trigger fingers in both hands, severe body and bone pain, trouble sleeping, and depression. I stopped after 5 months. My Onco suggested a short break. A nurse from her office was supposed to follow up after a few weeks. No one called so I took the summer off and did a lot of research. I decided to try building my immune system and using a natural compound called DIM
to try to suppress estogen. Along with all the supplements I have taken for years, I added Turkey Tail Mushrooms and a combination of mushrooms called Mycommunity, both from Host Defense. I added Mercola fermented turmeric and annato tocotrienols (a form of Vit E). Anyway, I just had my 6 month check-in with my Onco a few days ago. It took a few extra months to schedule. We discussed starting AI's again. I expressed my concerns about bone loss (I have osteopenia), thinning arteries in the heart, (I've had a heart attack) and the other issues I experienced. She said my chance of recurrance increased because BC was found in both breasts. That meant two breast cancers. She also said that if I wasn't experiencing side effects with the AI's, it wasn't working. She told my partner and I that if I stopped taking the AI's that she could only see me once a year for screening which is palpation of the chest area along the scar. (I did not go through reconstruction. One surgery was enough for me. I am 69 going on 70 this year.) She doesn't do any other screening. I will have to rely on my PCP for a 6 month intererval of palpation. I feel like I was" left out to dry" by my Dr. and my hopeful feelings dashed. It has been a week and I am trying to regain my sense of hope and resolve that I/We can choose what feels right for myself, my family and my quality of life. I am going to seek out a practitioner who will test my hormone levels. I do have a base line from a test my Naturopath did several years ago.

I am so disappointed in our traditional health care, and particularly healthcare for women. I can only guess that I am a lower risk patient than My Dr."s other patients. I will take that as a good thing. This is really my first experience with traditional medicine. I waded through it with my mother, and did not enjoy it. Good luck and blessings, as you move forward on this crazy journey.

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I never heard of such a thing. “ if you don’t experience side effects it’s not working” to me that’s ridiculous.
I have multi foci Invasuve lobular breast cancer. Had lumpectomy, and since I wasn’t sure I could handle the hormone blockers , since I already have osteoporosis, I opted for radiation. My radiation doctor told me a lot of women can’t handle the meds.
Now.. I can’t make a decision about Tamafloxin because of side effects of blood clots and uterine cancer in older women.
I’m 75. My dx score was 11 and my margins were clear.
I have enough issues with autoimmune diseases and been on prednisone for over 2 years.
Let’s remember.. doctors are still practicing.. even taking meds doesn’t guarante anything, I heard now you should take them for ten years, OMG,

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