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How important is taking hormone blockers after surgery for IDC?
Breast Cancer | Last Active: May 8, 2023 | Replies (91)Comment receiving replies
I had a lumpectomy in October, 2021. A Stage 1A tumor, under 1 cm in size, with clean margins and a clean sentinel node biopsy. Thankfully, my oncologist suggested that we have genomic testing done as well. (And, just as thankfully, insurance covered the high cost.)
The OncotypeDX showed a very low 'risk of recurrence within 9 years' and, after consulting with two oncologists, I declined aromatase inhibitors, after two tries, due to side effects of joint pain and concern about elevated cholesterol and bone health. I might have discontinued the drugs anyway but the genomic testing helped provide some answers. (For example, none of the known risk-increasing mutations were found in the tumor sample provided from my lumpectomy.)
Because I have osteopenia, I knew that I would end up on both an aromatase inhibitor and some osteoporosis drug, because taking the former would necessitate taking the latter as well. And then have side effects from both to deal with.
If you can take tamoxifen, it does not accelerate bone density loss and would be a choice worth considering further?
For whatever it's worth, I have two friends, one in her 60s and the other in her 70s, who also declined
the drugs after early-stage lumpectomies. It's been 4 and 6 years, respectively, since their surgeries and neither has had a cancer recurrence. One of them also based her decision on a very low risk of recurrence score on an OncotypeDX test. I think older women put heavier emphasis on present day quality of life over drug side effects for some possible future payoff. Or maybe the covid pandemic has fostered a kind of renewed sense of carpe diem as my oncologist suggested once.
Replies to "I had a lumpectomy in October, 2021. A Stage 1A tumor, under 1 cm in size,..."
Hello,
If you don’t mind me asking.
What is considered a low on on oncotype score?
I am 63.
I know there are different margins for 50 and up.
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Callaloo,
I just found this site and am thrilled! Your 1st paragraph almost made me fall off my chair : ) I had a lumpectomy in 2007. I was stage 1 with clear margins and a clean node. My oncologist was telling me to set an appt. to be seen in 6 months. Luckily I had a breast cancer chat room mentor tell me to ask for the OncotypeDX genomic testing to be done. Unfortunately back then the insurance did not pay for it. It cost us just under $5,000.00. My tumor test results put me in the mid-range for recurrence. I was in Red Devil chemo within the week.
I also opted for what was new then for my radiation called MammoSite High-Dose Rate (HDR) Radiation Therapy. It works from inside the breast, directly targeting the area where cancer is most likely to recur. Radiation seeds are delivered via a MammoSite balloon catheter as directed by the treatment plan. After each twice-daily treatment, the seeds are removed. No radiation remains in the breast in between treatments.
MammoSite spares healthy tissue and organs from the effects of radiation and allows treatment to be completed in just five days instead of five to seven weeks.
They implanted it at the same time as lumpectomy surgery 01/17/2007. I had to keep my arm under my breast to support the weight of it. My chemo was completed 05/30/2007. The radiation wasn’t started for another month so I was still carrying my girl around. The delay was due to the Neulasta shots to build my blood counts back up. What they didn’t know then was my breast would look like Extreme sunburn with my nipple cracking and bleeding. After it cooked me from the inside they removed the saline, deflated it, and ripped it out of me skin and all with no pain medication or numbing.
I did 10 years of Arimidex, 3-hour diagnostic mammos every 6 months with no recurrence. I thought cancer was in the rearview mirror. I had 2 blissful years with screenings only before they detected the breast cancer was back. This time it hadn’t been detected as early because of the 2-inch ball of scar tissue from radiation.
Don’t ask how my very recent double mastectomy went or should I say how it is still going since May 25, 2022. All I know is I’m lucky to be alive and it’s always a great day when I wake up. AND I don’t have to carry my girl any longer LOL! Praying for Blessings to all, Lynne