Connect
← Return to Letrozole: When will I start feeling/seeing side effects?
Discussion
Letrozole: When will I start feeling/seeing side effects?
Breast Cancer | Last Active: May 19 10:48pm | Replies (145)Comment receiving replies
Cindy, I love your post and AGREE about the levels. How do the docs know if we are taking too much or too little. This is ridiculous. Interesting fact, my oncologist says for prostrate cancer, they do take and monitor progesterone levels. Cindy, where do you live and was it your oncologist who took the estrogen levels or a different doctor?
Replies to "Cindy, I love your post and AGREE about the levels. How do the docs know if..."
francine6829 This may be a bit ridiculous but I am replying to you THREE years later. I'm sure you've moved on and figured this out by now!! Ha ha. I was distracted by my husband's serious medical issues and cancer diagnosis and am just now getting back to Mayo Connect. Sorry for not replying sooner to you and I hope you are well and coping. Hugs.
Connect
Hello francine6829 - I live in Colorado. I have had two different oncologists (due to health insurance changes).......both agreed to check my estrogen levels. I had my levels checked during menopause well before breast cancer and I was heavily estrogen dominant. In fact, most of my life I must have had huge amounts of estrogen and virtually no progesterone to keep it in check. I have even less progesterone than I have estrogen, even now. There was my problem through the years. A dominance of estrogen not checked by the progesterone. That is a very simple explanation (hormones are complicated) but logically........too much estrogen, hence estrogen positive breast cancer. I also had my testosterone levels checked because it can convert into estrogen they told me (on a much smaller scale).
I suppose the hormone link is strong but not the only reason for breast cancer because there are hormone negative breast cancers....it's just one element.
I have tried to naturally reduce my estrogen by losing weight and body fat (fat converts to estrogen), eating better, exercising and reducing stress (ha ha ha ......that last one is the real trick).
Hormone blood tests aren't as accurate as urine tests but they can give you a guideline. There are much more sensitive hormone tests that you can get at homeopathic doctors. I did that once and really did find out a lot about my body chemistry, what to eat, supplements etc. If we're willing to put up with all the chemical and invasive treatments for cancer I think it's worthwhile to do as much naturally as possible as well. It's harder to find a reputable doctor and there isn't as much oversight....but.....I don't do anything 'crazy'. All the changes I made were considered 'healthy' by my oncology docs as well.
Hugs!