Concerned about the side effects of anastrozole

Thank you. That’s reassuring. 🌸

@semurray the Breast Cancer Index is done after 5 years of hormonal therapy.

@anjalima I had a dip in bone density after one year of letrozole, but after that it eased quite a bit. Similar to the drop after menopause.

I’m taking Anastrozole ( one of the three AInhibitors) now in month 10. I was worried about side effects but worried about cancer recurrence much more!

Not everyone has the side effects listed. I think it’s always good to try if your health team recommends AI treatment.

I have very mild joint discomfort… which I can alleviate with stretches, yoga and walking. I don’t take a joint supplement.

At 72 some joint discomfort is not completely unusual. I also have mild osteopenia in hips SO, I am doing a repeat DEXA at 12 mos ( vs 24) to monitor and mitigate any dips in bone health ( which is fairly common, but not a given, on these meds). I do also take 1000-2000 mg D3, K2, and get almost all calcium from food. I do supplement 200 mg calcium malate.

It’s definitely a process and a journey. So glad to be part of this helpful informative group. Hope this is helpful to you. Let us know how it works out for you. 🌸

Thanks for this suggestion! I start Letrozole next week as my oncologist likes to wait 2 weeks post radiation. (ILC, 57 years, Stage 1, 1.8 cm, ER+). I've never heard of the Breast Cancer Index- I am scheduled to see nurse practitioner after being on Letrozole for 3 months. I'm anxious after reading side effects - I do have osteopenia - has anyone tried Glucosamine Chondroitin to help with bone/joint pain? I'm also taking 2000mg Vit D3 and trying to get 1500 mg Calcium daily.

I am also taking Letrazole and my side affects have been very minimal.

Just adding I would have been so happy to continue taking letrozole. I felt safe while on it.

As for side effects: I am helping a friend who has to do chemo. She would be so grateful to "just" do hormonal meds.

@marker I wanted to continue my aromatase inhibitor, letrozole, after 5 years but I did a test called the Breast Cancer Index, which tells you two thing: risk level and whether extended meds are of benefit.

I got high risk, but no benefit from further meds.

Maybe ask your doc about this test. I found it myself and my doc is now using it and it is also now in the NCCN guidelines.

I don't know if this makes any difference but when I look at numbers that are predictive, e.g., the odds that something will happen, I sometimes look at the obverse as well for perspective. When I first had a cancer diagnosis followed by lumpectomy every recurrence number took on a disproportionate importance in a certain sense and I treated them differently than I would have any other predictive number. I work in finance and economics so I'm used to looking at numbers, assessing their importance and putting them in the perspective with respect to other data points.

This may not affect your decision in any way but one way to look at this is that an 11% chance that X will happen is also an 89% chance that it won't. I think recurrence numbers are so imprecise and problematic and emotion-inducing in the first place, that it helps to see look at the non-recurrence number as well.

Another way to think of it is that if 1 in 8 American women get breast cancer, someone who has not had breast cancer has a 12.5% chance of developing it and 11% is lower than that though admittedly far from the 0% that we all would love to be assured of.

My risk level after 5 years of taking Anastrozole my risk level is 11%. Advised to continue taking 🙁

Yes, I definitely plan on trying another medicine. I think I will ask my oncologist to make the prescription for brand name only.
Thank you both for your replies!
God Bless you both!!