Completing 5 years on Anastrozole: Did you continue or stop after 5?

@stephlb prayers going out to you.

@ginnybeck what are the side effects of it. I am so scared about all I am reading. I do not want to take it at all. How did you make it through 10 years.

@kathyomaha55 is there a difference in side effects between the two?? What is the decrease rate for the first 5 years???

@sunshine1313

All three have side effects. Depends on your body what may happen. I have been on letrozole since 2022. Nearly 4 years. I have neuropathy. Was that the chemo side effect or the letrozole? I do not know. Weak nails? Letrozole, age or chemo effects? Not sure. Overall i have done well.
I did ask my nurse if some women complain about bad moods, crabbiness and some other effects, and she says women do complain.
To that i say, keep your medical team informed. If anything, have it on your chart so it will evidence to go back to.

@katgob Hi, katgob ,Would you mind to tell me what side effect do you have when you are on Letrozole? When did the side effects starts? I am on for 6 months only. By 5 months I realized that I have both ankle edemas but mild I still can put my feet into shoes. Besides my cardiologist put me on Statin ( Crestor 5 mg daily) because my Lipid panel was already high. I need to check again by next month. You are almost close to 5 years. I am. glad you are still taking the drug and doing well.

@songfamily2025
I am only on letrozole today and acyclovir that I have from my bone marrow transplant nearly 2 years ago. I have mild neuropathy in my fingers. Just right now i realize i had it worse in my feet, feeling like i had socks on all the time. I do not feel that right now. I have heard others share on exemestane and anastrozole, but few are on letrozole, also known as Femara. Not sure why so many medical teams suggest the other. I have weak nails and that may be femara as stopping estrogen does not bode well for skin and nail health.

I took anastrozole for five years. My oncologist told me it was my decision but she recommended I stop because my treatment, which included a lumpectomy and radiation for Stage 2 breast cancer, was effective.
I had struggled through a lot of side effects and threatened to quit treatment at least three times. But my family intervened. They told me that I was too young to die if I had a chance to live. They told me that to die from cancer couldn’t be very comfortable, either. They told me they wanted me around and encouraged me to fight through it.
I’m glad I did. Can’t say I don’t have residual effects from the drug, but I’ve never been 70 before. Is this the way a normal 70 year old feels or the way a cancer survivor that’s 70 year old feels?
I’ll never know for certain but I couldn’t let cancer claim me.

@sunshine1313 I was told in 2018 that the AI for the first 5 years decreases your reoccurrence rate by 50%. So if your rate is 10% - it then becomes 5%. Only your oncologist can tell the rate of reoccurrence. It's not really clear how much it goes down after another 5 years, which is why I declined.

I was told I would be on letrozole for 5 yrs. If they ask if I want to stay on it for another 5 yrs I would ask what it would benefit me and what would happen if I didn’t. I’m 70 now but I sure don’t another occurrence of cancer. So if it’s the lessor of 2 evils I’ll continue Letrozole. My feet are are a little number than usual but I am Diabetic.

@katgob Thank you for your answer. All the three AIs have side effects. That is why I don't want to change to another one unless I can not stand the severe side effect. You are doing well. Again, Hang in there, you have not even 2 years to go. After stop the drug I was told the side effect will go away slowly. You can see the light in a deep cave now. Congrats! you made it!!