delay recurrence or prevent recurrence

[frustratedrg]

Do these hormonal drugs (tamoxifen, femara, etc.) prevent recurrence or just delay it?  I thought that your risk of recurrence declines for good after you have taken them for the prescribed amt. of time.  

[madgeOwens]

My surgeon said it lessens the % chance of cancer, but it was my understanding that it is not by much and that you will still get cancer. Thats why I am not going to take tamoxafin. I had atypia and it would supposedly lessen my chance of the atypia one day becoming cancer, but not significantly enough for me to want the side effects. Do you research to see what would be best in your case.

[japdip]

The hormonal drugs merely block the estrogen that ER+ tumors depend on for growth. Your risk for recurrance never declines completely; no matter what .... the possibiity is always there as well as the possibility of developing another primary cancer.   Regards ...