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Concerned about the side effects of anastrozole

Breast Cancer | Last Active: Nov 21 7:48am | Replies (1935)

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@semurrey

Hi- I've been on Letrozole for 3 months (lumpectomy for 2 cm Lobular, followed by radiation in January) and really starting to have the joint pain you all have referenced. The areas I have some arthritis (wrist, and neck) are most painful and I try heat upon waking. Once I get moving pain improves a bit. Have any of you tried glucosamine chondroitin supplements? I'm honestly so overwhelmed in regards to supplements - I will also add tumeric. I take 2000 D3 along with vitamin K as have osteopenia and try to get calcium diet as I've read that calcium just isn't all the bioavailable. However I have read Algae Calcium may be better absorbed?? Thanks for sharing and does take a village.

My oncologist at Dana Farber never mentioned any supplements other than the D3 and calcium as have osteopenia at 57 yrs.

Could any of you weigh in follow up scans. My onco feels that any scans before one year post surgery are not helpful so I only have a diagnostic mamo scheduled in October ( a year post surgery). I have dense breasts but mammo last year did pick up lobular but I do fear it had been there a while as the radiation onco said it was hiding behind a fairly large benign lump (had aspirations on that in the past a few times).

Do I beg for an MRI? Anxiety creeping up!

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Replies to "Hi- I've been on Letrozole for 3 months (lumpectomy for 2 cm Lobular, followed by radiation..."

YES!
Neither a mammo nor an ultrasound found TWO large tumors in one breast. I insisted on an MRI as I had a symptom. It likely saved my life. I now get an MRI and mammo/ultrasound annually… alternating every six months.

Sue Ellen,
Following are the dates of my follow-up scans.
Jan 2020 - Lumpectomy
Feb 2020 - Bilateral MRI
April 2020 - Mammogram & ultrasound
October 2020 - Mammogram and ultrasound
Feb 2021 - MRI
May 2021 - Mammogram & ultrasound
Feb 2022 - MRI
May 2022 - Mammogram
Feb 2023 - MRI
April 2023 - Mammogram and ultrasound
I have no idea if this number of scans is normal or not. I have a primary immune disease and I had a cancer that was very rare but is common to recur in the same place.
Going an entire year without a scan seems like a long time. What about your other breast?
I also have dense breasts and 2 months after having a 3D mammogram that I was told was negative I had an ultrasound that showed a 2 cm tumor. Maybe you could get a second opinion regarding follow-up scans.