RATE OF RETURN OF BREAST CANCER WHEN STOPPING HORMONE BLOCKING THERAPY

[PETUNIAS]

I AM TAKING FEMORA AND STOPPED THIS WEEK.  I KEPT GOING FROM HOT TO COLD (NOT LIKE MENOPAUSE) AND RIPPING OFF MY CLOTHES AND THEN BUNDLING UP OVER 20 TIMES A DAY.  NOW THAT I HAVE STOPPED THE FEMORA MY SYMPTOMS ARE ABATING.  WHAT IS THE LIKLIHOOD OF EARLY STAGE BREAST CANCER WITH NO LYMPH NODE INVOLVEMENT RETURNING IF I STOP HORMONE BLOCKERS?  MY HORMONE RECEPTORS WERE 96% POSITIVE.




This discussion is related to radiation pneumonitis.

[WorkingThroughIt]

Hi...

I am on 20mg per day.  It took about 6 weeks before the hot flashes/cold spells really became strong and a source of constant complaint on my end.  I have spoken with my oconologost as to why in the world I need to be on Tamoxifen if my nodes were clean, I had 4 rounds of chemo and I had a mastectomy... he says its part of the standard protocol for women who are not yet in menopause and had invasive breast cancer that was hormone receptive.  *sigh*

[HazelLynn]

Hi, I just wondererd what dosage of Tamoxifen you are on?? I am on 20 mg per day which I have been taking for just over  a month and I am curious as to when the side effects start to kick in and am thinking that as I dont have any, have I been given the right dose, or is it too soon?  I had invasive DCIS High Grade, had a lumpectomy and then a mastectomy & 13 nodes removed.  The amount of invasion was 1mm and the DCIS was 5mm.

Thanks!

[WorkingThroughIt]

Hi...

I am 48 and takin Tamoxifen and am having the exact same issues: soaking wet hot, then freezing cold.  My intolerance to cold is extreme.  I had a 2cm tumor that was intermediate in aggression and estrogen positive.  I am not in natural menopause.  I had a mastectomy and sentinel lymph node dissection - zero lymph node involvement.  Because my cancer was invasive carcinoma and DCIS, because of the size and because of my age, I also had 4 rounds of AC.  The side effects of Tamoxifen are just making my quality of life rather challenging, to be blunt.  I've been taking Tamoxifen for a year, and stopped about a week ago.  The hot/freezing spells are decreasing, and I'm happy about that.  But obviously I don't want to put my long term health at risk.  How much "playing with fire" am I doing by not continuing with Tamoxifen?

Thanks!!

[PaulMD]

Hi there.

The studies regarding the hormone blockers usually involves taking these drugs for at least 5 years continuously.  The relative chance of recurrence after these 5 years, is reduced by about 15-25%.  So, from these figures, if your intake of these hormone blockers is less than 5 years, the reduction of chance of recurrence maybe lower than the above figure (though we cannot really tell for sure).  I suggest you take this to your oncologist and see if there can be alternatives to the drugs because the benefit of hormonal blockers in hormone receptor positive breast cancer cannot be over emphasized.   Regards and God bless.