Hello
Has anybody been on Anastrozole for more than 7 years?
Research is showing (from an American website) that 10 years maybe more advisable now.
I was told I would be on Anastrozole for 5 years then it changed to 7.
I’m wondering if to stay on it for 10 years after doing the research and for piece of mind.
The consultant said it has not been proven it is more beneficial to stay on it for 10 years but he was happy to allow me to if it helped mentally.
I am really struggling with pain in my arms though and I think this maybe the anastrozole.
Really appreciate any thoughts/knowledge.
Thank you
Hi Heather
I have been on Anastrozole for 12 months now. I started on Letrozole 6 months previous but could not handle the joint pain. My joint pain stopped for a little while but I am struggling now. The pain is in my feet and hands mostly…but I have also felt it lately in my ankles, knees and one elbow. I have been told that I will be on this for 10 years. Not looking forward to that…its really quite debilitating. Good luck to you Heather…its not easy.
Julia x
Not really an answer to your question but I was only on Anastrazole for only 6 months and had to give it up. The pain in my arms and shoulders was excruciating and I had no quality of life at all.
Well done you for doing 7 years.
I was told that 10 years has no more benefit than 7. I choose to stay on it for piece of mind.
But I believe they are advising 10 years now.
Difficult decision to make.
Thank you for your reply and I hope all goes well.
I felt compelled to reply to your message and add my two cents, because I have just come off Letrozole after 5 years, and here are my thoughts and my understanding: when I last spoke to my oncologist, he also explained that the latest data suggest 10 years being superior to 5 (whether it’s Letrozole or Anastrozole). Here is my understanding of the difference between 5 and 10 years: we all need to remember that these hormone therapies serve to reduce/stop estrogen from circulating in our bodies, because estrogen increases our chance of recurrence. However, and as far as I am aware-the main difference between 5 and 10 years (or 5 and 7 or 7 and 10) etc. is that the longer you are on it, the greater the chance of keeping cancer away.
So many of us struggle with the side effects and so the Q. is this: “do you want to stay on it longer, and feel more certain/confident that the BC won’t return”? or do you want to stop after 7 years and (knowingly) risk the recurrence? I chose the latter, because my view is this: if my cancer will come back because I’ve stopped Letrozole after 5 years…it will no doubt come back after 10 years if I stay on it for 10. So my attitude is" if it’s going to recur, let it recur now. This is just my personal view. At the end of the day, whenever you stop, be it after 7 years or 10 years…you open yourself up to recurrence. That’s all. There is some data to suggest that staying on it for 10 years does reduce the risk of recurrence, but it does not improve overall survival. It’s a very personal choice. We all need to make the decision that is best for us, but it’s good to have all of the available data in order to help us with this decision. Good luck with your decision. It’s not an easy one for some. For me…it was a no brainer. I’m one week off Letrozole and am looking forward to seeing how I feel in the new year (it can take 4-6 weeks to leave the system). xxx
Hi, i am 1 year post mastectomy surgery. i was on astrozole, then letrozole and both gave me unbearable joint pain. So much so that i was actually considering just stopping the treatment. However, my consultant has put me on Tamoxifen which has massively improved my quality of life. I don’t know your medical history of course but just wanted to share a potentially less painful option.
