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Diagnosed with DCIS: How do I decide on treatment?
Breast Cancer | Last Active: Mar 20 10:00am | Replies (345)Comment receiving replies
Yes I have had surgery about 6 weeks ago. I'm so confused about what to do as I have read so many negative things about taking a pill. I feel like I should but then the next day I feel like I don't want to. I had an appointment with my oncologist and she explained what the pill would do and that was about it. When she walked out of the room she said "let me know if you want to take the pill". No other information was given to me, no resources. I've been left I feel trying to figure out what is best for me by myself. So I turned to this website and maybe I was in the wrong group because almost everyone is saying how horrible the side effects are. I'm sitting on the fence everyday. Not sure how long I have to make my decision about the treatment.
Replies to "Yes I have had surgery about 6 weeks ago. I'm so confused about what to do..."
Hi,
I am in your situation regarding the AI pills. I had DCIS stage 0 and a low grade. I did the lumpectomy and radiation 5 times which was cleaning up. The doctors suggest AI pills and I am not able to decide. I talked with my 2 daughters who are cancer researchers and a pharmacist. I have to decide within a month. I am researching natural ways to lower the estrogen since I am ER/PR+.
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@finallyretired, it's really important to remember that not everyone experiences side effects. The people who experience side effect are more likely to take part in a discussion about aromatase inhibitors or tamoxifen because they would like support and tips for dealing with the side effects. That is understandable. But it can also leave the impression that everyone gets side effects.
You can read more about aromatase inhibitors here to help you with your decision making: https://breastcancernow.org/information-support/facing-breast-cancer/going-through-breast-cancer-treatment/hormone-therapy/aromatase-inhibitors-anastrozole-exemestane-letrozole
Excerpt
"Like all drugs, aromatase inhibitors can cause side effects. Everyone reacts differently to drugs and it’s not possible to predict how any of the drugs will affect an individual.
The side effects of all three drugs are similar. However, some people may get on better with one drug than another.
If you’re finding it hard to cope with side effects from one aromatase inhibitor, your specialist may recommend changing to a different aromatase inhibitor or another hormone therapy drug."