Looking for research re: taking AI drugs vs not taking them

Posted by celestebradham @celestebradham, Jan 4 10:38am

I am currently taking Exemestane. I’m 61. Took a while but I’m doing well on it (doing yoga, pranayama and acupuncture). I now have osteopenia after taking it six months. I’m trying to find research on taking AIs vs not taking. What I’m finding there is not much difference between taking and not taking. But more likely to get arthritis and osteoporosis.
Can anyone post links. .

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jmab | @jmab | Nov 25 7:03pm

In reply to @peggydobbs "I've looked into the scientific research on the effectiveness of AIs. They cut the risk of..." + (show)

@peggydobbs Thanks for your info! I'm 72, newly diagnosed, stage 1a ILC. Clean lumpectomy & 5 day radiation starting next week. I would need to take tamoxifen due to my already weak bones, according to oncologist. My question is, even if I take tamoxifen & feel that I'm "tolerating" it ok, I could still end up with serious side effects like blood clots or endometrial cancer, right? But by then it would be too late & the damage would be done. So, it feels very unnerving at my age. Taking the meds or not taking them both feel risky.

ruffianfan55 | @ruffianfan55 | Nov 26 10:46am

I have been taking anastrozole for almost 2 weeks and, so far, have no side effects at all. I found other research that shows it also reduces the risk of several other cancers such as ovarian and lung cancer. I am guardedly optimistic that I will be able to tolerate it well and, hopefully, keep a recurrence away. If you’re on the fence, like I was, and don’t want to someday regret, not taking it, please go ahead and try it. I’m glad that I did, and will post if I have any issues with it in the future. It reduces my risk of recurrence from 6% to 3% in 10 years. Low risk, but it also reduces your risk of a new cancer in the other breast as well as other cancers.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!

kathyomaha55 | @kathyomaha55 | Nov 27 1:59pm

I tried entering data on this web site - it was very interesting. https://breast.v3.predict.cam/tool They told me chemo would not affect my outcome & when I entered this data with & without chemo - it was the same. I don't know how accurate this is - but it sure made me feel better! I did finish my 5 years of AI. But turned down 10 years. I was 62 when diagnosed.

peggydobbs | @peggydobbs | Nov 30 9:46am

If your personal risk of recurrence is 1%, and if taking AIs reduced this risk by half, to 0.5%, then AIs might not be worth taking. However, if your risk is 18%, and AIs reduce this risk to 9%, to me, it makes sense to take AIs.
There are tests of the tumor itself that estimate risk of recurrence--e.g. Oncotype score plus others whose names I'm not familiar with.
I suggest asking Med. Onco. what your own risk of recurrence is--and then ask how s/he knows, i.e. what tests have been done. BTW, I'm over 80 but still my risk of recurrence was high enough that I was put on a 2nd anti-cancer medication.
You shouldn't assume that because of your age, your cancer isn't invasive.