Hormone Therapy Or Not?

[Nanc25]

I have stage1 breast cancer. Both breast.  I have had a lumpectomy. Lymph nodes clear.  After surgery had mammosite.  Should I do hormone therapy?  I also had ovarian cancer 2 yrs. ago. Stage 1A also. Doing well here.
Took chemo for OV. and left me with aching legs and joints.  The hormone therapy has so many side affects.  The drugs suggested for me are Arimidex or Raloxifene.  Is there anyone that does not take hormone therapy and is still doing well with no recurrance?

[Blt923]

Have you discussed it with your dr.  I also had stage one and mine was not aggressive.  I chose to just have lumpectomy followed by radiation.  I was 48 when I was diagnosed.  It was caught on a mammogram.  I could not feel it.  Good luck

[Tinabudde]

My mother is on Arimidex and is doing pretty good.  From the meds it sounds like your cancers are estrogen positive, so the goal with the meds is to stop the estrogen production.  It's like a drug induced menopause of sorts.  I am on lupron which does the same thing.  I don't have any side effects either but people are different and it's all up to you, what you want to do.  I don't personally know of anyone who has had cancer that isn't on hormone therapy.  Anyone else out there have opinions??

[japdip]

Yes those drugs do have many side effects but not everyone will experience all of them or to the same degree. It has been proven that they do reduce the chance of recurrence by a rather high percentage but it is totally your decision. There is no reason that you couldn't try one of them and see what side effects you experience and then either switch to another drug or discontinue altogether if the side effects are severe. I do think it's the best path to take with lumpectomy.  Regards ....