Good morning. I saw this conversation and thought I'd try to inject what little knowledge I have gained being a stage 4 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma patient. My cancer was diagnosed after it had already spread to my bones/lungs/skin 3 1/2 yrs. ago. I never had radiation as early-stage do, in order to catch any residual cells that might have remained after surgery. I am, and have been on since day 1, an estrogen blocker due to E+ cancer which feeds off the estrogen in our bodies. They put early stage on the blockers to reduce the chance of a recurrence. I know most AI's (aromatase inhibitors/estrogen blockers) cause joint pains. For me it was about 7 months of aching here and there before it started to let up and I no longer notice them. Of course i have cancer in my bones so they ache separately at times. I can't recommend a txt to you but I believe it's worth trying to see if the side-effects are manageable. If not, there are other AI's that can be tried. Not every one will cause the same effects in everyone and some may be minor
On the Cancer Antigen test, that tests the cancer burden and your oncologist may have done it to have what we call a "baseline number". You are well within the normal range currently but they can watch, if you begin treatment, to see if the numbers go up or down to determine if a txt is working. I hope this helps. Glad to answer any other questions you might have.
Peggie