Take anastrozole for the rest or your life?

Hello! Did your friend have lumpectomy's in both breasts and take anastrozole after her first diagnosis and still got it in the other breast?

Yes. Both breasts two different times. Took anastrozole the first time and again now.

What is frustrating is that she got it in the second breast while taking the drug and still is taking the drug even though it did not work.

No. She got cancer in the second breast 7 years after the first time. I am not sure, but know that there was a period of time after the first occurrence when she was “cancer free” and not taking anastrozole. I am thinking at least 2 years. I have never heard of anyone taking it for the rest of their lives which could be 20 years.

We were told that 10 years was optimal. Then I heard that 7 years was as good as 10. For someone who has had two cancers and is 76 perhaps "the rest of your life" is reasonable.

The thing is, you have to make sure it is doing something. When I finished 5 years I had a Breast Cancer Index test done. It showed no benefit from further treatment with an AI, High risk but no benefit. This was even with very high ER score of 95% and PR 80%.

Maybe your friend could do a BCI to make sure she is getting benefit from the meds. It is now in the NCCN guidelines but some docs don't know about it apparently.

I did not know about BCI, I would have done that when I quit after 18 months. If I would have continued my life would've been miserable, my mobility had suffered, I just couldn't continue. I thought it odd you would take something not knowing what it was actually doing for you, if anything.

@whr @windyshores I totally agree with ‘ I thought it odd you would take something not knowing what it was actually doing for you, if anything’. When I question my “previous “ oncologist about how they know the Anastrozole was working he said ‘We just take it for granted’. I couldn’t believe my ears. Not the right answer!
I did not know about BCI test either or I would have taken it also. I stopped after 2 1/2 yrs. Why isn’t there more consistency with available tests concerning meds. It is frustrating. I’m thinking we are are just test subjects sometimes.

It feels like being a lab rat at times. It will be four years in December since my surgery. I met someone the other day who had a double mastectomy nine years ago and never did anything with drugs after her surgery, she is fine, at least for now. For everyone it's different, it was the right decision for me. Hugs!

@whr I’m lol as I was going to use ‘lab rats’ as that is how I feel. Changed to ‘test subjects’ which had a different connotation. August I’ll be 4 yrs out from my surgery. 🙏🏼💪🏼. Hugs right back at you.

In going back in my mind I had the onco test. It showed the benefit from chemo would not be any greater than taking Anastrozole, so that was why I took it. However at no point were the hormone levels checked to see if it was working. After my decision to stop taking it the oncologist said, "given how slowly you metabolize meds, we could've done a lower dose", too late for this lab rat.