Hi all
Newbie to this site and grateful for anyones thoughts about arthropathy treatment and BC. Just had SLNB, wide excision and therapeutic mammoplasty after almost 4 months of investigations. Feel on a knife edge emotionally at the moment. Dehydrated from crying!!
I had to stop by biological treatment and have been told I can’t go onto methotrexate, second rate for me but helps, for one year and not back onto biological for 5 to 10 years. Though joints are OK at present because I have been on steroids I wondered if anyone else has had issues with treatment for rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis and what their experience has been working between rheumatologist/oncologist?
Hi @Spottydottymeg
I too have psoriatic arthritis and was taking methotrexate and Enbrel for 14 years until stopping prior to surgery in December 2022. Like you, I had a therapeutic mammoplasty with WLE and SLNB. Lymph nodes were clear but because of slightly high OncotypeDx I am currently having chemotherapy which will be followed by radiotherapy and 5 years of Letrozole (ER+ve).
Even during the period from pre surgery to starting chemo I had no flares and my rheumatologist is of the view that I am in remission from the PsA and so the plan is not to immediately resume meds anyway. There has been no suggestion, though, that, if I do need to resume, I would have to wait years to do so. I wonder what the reason for that is?
My oncologist has been in touch with the rheumatologist about possible side effects of Letrozole as one of these is joint pains but, so far, I don’t know how things will work out in reality!
I’m sorry that you’re struggling emotionally but I think that is normal. Do get support from people close to you, from your medical team and from this forum.
Best wishes.