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Concerned about the side effects of anastrozole

Breast Cancer | Last Active: Jul 28 9:25am | Replies (1934)

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@colleenyoung

There are many factors that contribute to the treatment protocol that is selected for YOU.
- Research and the latest evidence-based information available
- Your specific tumor type
- Your current medical status and ability to manage the side effects of some treatments
- Your medicial history and co-conditions, i.e., diabetes, autoimmune disease, bone health, etc.
- Your medication allergies
- Your previous cancer history
- Your family history and genetic history
- Your preferences, i.e., which side effects impact your quality of life negatively and which ones you may be able to tolerate.
- The goal of treatment: cure, control, comfort
- Insurance coverage and financial considerations
- etc.

This is why treatment may not be the same as another woman with the same cancer type. It depends.

You may also find this article from Mayo Clinic helpful in understanding the valuable contributions patients make in their treatment decisions:

- Cancer treatment decisions: 5 steps to help you decide https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cancer/in-depth/cancer-treatment/art-20047350

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Replies to "There are many factors that contribute to the treatment protocol that is selected for YOU. -..."

I will be going for my 5 year evaluation (since surgery and beginning treatment) and I understand that when we have our discussions here, it’s anecdotal information with helpful links. But it’s also been very helpful in that I am starting to prepare my questions for my evaluation and I am not quite confident about what my oncologist will advise and we are assuming that my exams and MRI will all be clear.

What did strike me in our discussions here, was all the info about the OncotypeDX. It prompted me to look at my score because for me, emphasis was placed on one score that determined that I would not benefit from chemo at my early stage. However, I looked at my other score/percentage for recurrence and it was much higher than others here who had my same number and talked about it here. (For example, if someone also had an 8, their recurrence was 3-4%.)
So some of my questions, if they aren’t addressed already by the oncologist, will have to do with that number, my tumor grade, and the bilateral cancer.
I appreciate that we can share, hopefully make us think, ask questions, and advocate, but not necessarily panic.
Will keep you posted! 🤞🏻