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Benefit of Tamoxifen
by WorkingThroughIt, May 01, 2008 06:13PM
Hi...
I was diagnosed in 2006 with invasive ductal carcinoma and DCIS. My tumor was of intermediate aggression, hormone positive and there were zero lymph nodes involved. I chose to have a mastectomy given my age (45) and size of my tumor (2 cm). I underwent 4 infusions of AC, and began Tamoxifen a year ago.
My question is this: I know that the use of Tamoxifen can reduce the risk of breast cancer by 50% in patients considered to be at high risk. But if one has had a mastectomy and chemotherapy, and there were zero nodes affected/involved, is there really any benefit to taking Tamoxifen? Right now the side effects are just making me downright cranky (and yes, I am on Effexor) and honestly the body changes courtesy of forced menopause are not helping the attitude any.
Can cancer spread even if lymph nodes were negative?
I was diagnosed in 2006 with invasive ductal carcinoma and DCIS. My tumor was of intermediate aggression, hormone positive and there were zero lymph nodes involved. I chose to have a mastectomy given my age (45) and size of my tumor (2 cm). I underwent 4 infusions of AC, and began Tamoxifen a year ago.
My question is this: I know that the use of Tamoxifen can reduce the risk of breast cancer by 50% in patients considered to be at high risk. But if one has had a mastectomy and chemotherapy, and there were zero nodes affected/involved, is there really any benefit to taking Tamoxifen? Right now the side effects are just making me downright cranky (and yes, I am on Effexor) and honestly the body changes courtesy of forced menopause are not helping the attitude any.
Can cancer spread even if lymph nodes were negative?
You might ask the doctor for something different.
Good luck with it,.
sammie
I am 61 years old and had breast Cribra form of cancer of the DCIS. It was less then 2cm my doctor said he could not even put it in a level It was a very slow moving cancer and small. My antibody tests were: ER results 80%, PR 10%, Her2hercep test 1+/Negative, P63 Positive
They wanted me to get off tomaxacin and go on Arimidex but in order to go on that I had to take something for my bones because I have Osteopenia and Osteoprosis in my right arm. I tried Octonel for four weeks and I could not walk on my feet on the 5th week. Went to a foot Dr. because the Metatarsal and my toes became very senitiive where my nerves were swallon and the doctor and had said it was not from Octonel but I disagree I stopped the actonel and in two weeks my feet were fine. I would bet my life it was the Actonel. Anyway in order to go on the Arimidex I would have to get a shot of Reclast for the bones that you need only once a year. As confused as I am If Octonal reacted on me like this what would I do for a whole year if relcast did this to me. The doctor said reclast is different. Right now they want me to stay on tomaxacin becuase I am having root canal. I also hear that Tomaxacin is only good for three years.
Confuse and sad I really want to stop everything.
help
Ingem2: Zometa is a newer bone drug that they are looking at for osteoporosis. They are also claiming it has been shown to halt metastasis to the bones from breast cancer. Might want to ask about that one.
I'm on Tamoxifen for the long-haul even though I only had 1 node positive just for the sake of doing something active against the cancer. It may or may not help in the end, we shall see on that one. And my countdown continues.... 3 years, 2 months remaining!
Good luck to you all!
I have two years remaining for my Tamoxifen but they said that Arimidex complements after stopping Tamoxifen for three years. So they want me to switch for the two years with Arimidex. My lympthnodes were not attacked they took out three and they were fine. It seems to me that we will have to take drugs for the rest of our lives? even after the fives years. Did you feel that way?.
I am doing well on Tamoxifen the only side effects that I get is tiredness and sometimes confused but I fight it and a little irritable but very rear. I lost weight instead of gaining wait on the Tamoxifen. I do not want to take Effexor because I think that makes you gain weight.
Miss Denial
However, to ensure that I'm here for the next 20+ years, I will do what is necessary. I hope to always be able to walk into a doc's office with a smile and no complaints. And leave that way!
Yes, Effexor makes you gain weight (maybe not to start, but eventually it will). Did you take chemo? Confusion may be residual of that, even though my husband says "no", I think "yes".
Thank you for writing me.
No I never took chemo only radiation like you and Tomaxcin
I was seeing my radiologist and oncologist every three months for three years
now it is every six months.
The only other side effect I got from Tomaxcin is crapping of the legs.
severe and my doctor said to drink Tonic Water because it has Quinine in it. It really helps. I thought it was Potassium but it was not.
I knew a friend that had died from breast cancer and she had what I had and
she went on Toxmaxcin and stopped it in three years. Then the cancer came back into her lungs after two years of stopping it. Before she died she believed that it was the Tomaxcin
So now I get nervous. The doctors said no .
I wouldn't think that your friend's cancer recurrance was related to the tamoxifen. Tamoxifen works to protect breast cells from the ill effects of estrogen. So if you have an estrogen positive cancer, taking tamoxifen is supposed to protect you from having the cancer recur there. That's not saying it can't or won't recur somewhere else. Cancer is a sneaky foe.
I'm so sorry for your friend. Some people just seem to have incredibly bad luck with this disease. I do hope that you are one of the survivor's. Good luck to you.
So Tamoxifen is only good for five years they say. Then after that I can stop it without taking something else I think ?. I spoke to some girls that only took tamoxifen for three years and they said they were told that it is only good for 3 years. Confused again
and they never took anything else after tamoxifen.
What do you think?
:)
My mom had to take it for 5 years and then didn't take anything else 8 years ago. She was peri-menopausal when she started and menopausal when she finished. I'm pre-menopausal with no menopause in sight.
I know that now-days if you are menopausal, there is also Arimidex and the like for aiding in breast cancer