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Concerned about the side effects of anastrozole
Breast Cancer | Last Active: Jul 28 9:25am | Replies (1934)Comment receiving replies
I just joined this group to check out others experiences with Anastrozole. I recently (Nov 6) had a lumpectomy (stage 1 DCIS) with a very tiny "micro invasion". My tumor would have been Stage 0 if there had not been any micro invasion. No radiation but a prescription for Anastrozole. I am 79 yrs old and also have Multiple Myeloma which has been treated successfully for the last 3 years. I will have infusions of Darzalex for the rest of my life - now only 1 x a month. After reading all of the horrible side effects and talking to other survivors I have decided to take my chances and hopefully live a life of some quality. My bones have thinned from the myeloma and the thought of further thinning is very frightening. I had to have some chemo for the myeloma and it gave me neuropathy which is in itself very painful and makes me "wobbly" (I have to use a cane.) I plan to talk to my Oncologist next week about this and hopefully she can help me with diet, exercise and weight control so that any cancer recurrence would be minimized if it came back at all. I would just like to live the rest of my life without everything that goes with this drug. Has anyone else taken this path and is doing well?
Replies to "I just joined this group to check out others experiences with Anastrozole. I recently (Nov 6)..."
Welcome @maryaronoff. You certainly have a unique set of considerations when deciding to take anastrozole or not. Your concerns and questions about combined side effects due to medications for breast cancer and multiple myeloma are good ones to ask your oncologist. I'll be interested in your decision after you weigh the pros and cons with your team. There are others here who, for their circumstances, chose not to take an AI, like @cindylb.
Mary, you may also interested in the discussions about multipe myeloma in the Blood Cancers group (https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/blood-cancers-disorders/)
– Multiple Myeloma https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/multiple-myeloma-1/
– Multiple Myeloma https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/multiple-myeloma-26f521/
- Darzalex Treatment https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/darzalex-treatment/
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@maryaronoff
I'm on the same ship in the sense that we are among the older cohorts who acquired breast cancer... and oncologists just don't have sufficient data on us (most of us are going to die from heart disease, unrelated to the cancer). Like you, I also have chemo-induced neuropathy and it's a bear, despite 4-5 hrs. a week of exercise designed to regain balance and coordination lost to the chemo. After reading a great deal of research, and knowing that I react negatively to most medications, I chose to take half an anastrozole a day for seven years (most bc survivors quit their aromatase inhibitors within two years because of the side effects). Yes, recurrence is high for our age group, but it's also high after five years of the anastrozole at any age. Yes, they can treat the bone-thinning, but falls (made more likely from the neuropathy) still break bones which can be catastrophic for our age group. Focusing on a good diet, a healthy weight, and exercise (which can slow bone-thinning) always are important, but are especially important for those of us on this particular ship who want a longer and healthy life. There are many pros and cons regarding anastrozole and each of us has to do the research in light of our particular situation (like HER2 status, cancer type, bone density, and other health concerns) and make a decision, always with a Plan B in mind. Wishing you the best!