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Aromatase Inhibitors: Did you decide to go on them or not?
Breast Cancer | Last Active: May 12, 2023 | Replies (1190)Comment receiving replies
For what it's worth, since I am very concerned about moving from mild osteopenia into osteoporosis (because the drugs to tackle osteoporosis are, to me, worrisome), I entered all the data from my DEXA scan from September! 2021 into the osteoporosis calculator. It predicted that I have a 19.54% chance of 'major osteoporotic event within the next 10 years.' As we know statistics are subject to a lot of interpretation. I reentered the exact same data but with a 10-year younger age, and the risk dropped by more than half. And I compared the DEXAscan to one 6 years earlier. The 'rate' of bone loss is conservative if one looks at the gm/cmsquared...which what the DEXA measures. So I'm hoping to continue to stave off osteoporosis. And assume that the 'risks' include people, as with most meta data or large studies, who have additional health, fragility, lifestyle and/or fall risks that I don't, at least currently! have. I am physically active and do yoga and sailing to maintain good balance so hope that diet and exercise slow down the inevitable.
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I am going to preface my remarks with a reminder of the topic of conversation. Which is deciding to take endocrine therapy or not. I have been reading your posts and the great test information posted by @windyshores to that end. I also think there is naturally an imbalance of people posting that have side effects, most of the people who post on a topic are not the ones who are doing great,.
Yes, endocrine therapy can increase bone density loss, especially in those who are already losing bone density and those who are sedentary.
Every persons situation is different, every persons cancer is different. Every persons response to endocrine therapy will be different as well.
All of us have to be as informed as possible, and then make our own cost vs. benefit analysis, and then navigate our own path. Things like bone structure, age, previous illness, supplements, aggressiveness of cancer all have to be considered and are not something you can know by reading a blanket guideline, nor can you know these things about someone you have never met. Add in that everyone else has different wants, likes, and goals, or fear of recurrence and you get something deeply personal. A test cannot answer these things.
I did take 5 years of Tamoxifen and more than 5 years of Anastrazole, almost 18 years from initial diagnosis, I do have some substantial bone loss in my spine but none in my hips. I have taken some bone strengtheners before the pandemic started, but have not been able to resume them since. I currently have stable metastatic breast cancer, and I never have to second guess if I did everything within my power to prevent it. For me it was the right choice. I like to say it hasn’t always been easy but I am still here to complain about it.