Hi, I’ve finished chemo in April and about to have 19 sessions radiotherapy from 19th May.
Through all this treatment I’ve been reading up on things to prepare for what may come from chemo to medication. During chemo told it may/may not cause early menopause, so I assumed I was pre menopausal?!?
I was told at an appointment with onc consultant (around cycle 4) that I’d have a blood test once chemo finished to determine whether I was pre, post or peri menopausal? I’ve just turned 50 and prior to all this was still having regular heavy periods and no menopausal symptoms apart from a couple of weeks of flushes (no sweats etc) which stopped as soon as they started! So I assumed I’d not actually gone through it!? My last period was January and through chemo nothing. But I’m now confused and concerned about what I’ve been told and given!?
As id not heard from onc about blood test I rang. Spoke to senior onc McMillan nurse who said she’d spoken to consultant. Said he thought one thing but she’d disagreed, and after he’d looked at results again has decided to go with new research out and give me Exemestane and an injection once every three months to supresse the ovaries… I’m concerned I’ve had no test to determine where I am and on reading about these meds they are usually given after taking tamoxifen for 2-4 years first!!!
Am am I over reacting? Should I ring and question this? I’d like to know whether I’ve had the menopause
without knowing!? Also she said that these meds work the opposite way yo HRT? CONFUSSED!!! ?
Hi Tandy
We are almost identical in our hormone treatment.
I start my radiotherapy on the 19th May , 20 sessions altogether. On the 27th April I had my first Zoladex injection , I am having one every 28 days . I also started taking Aromasin (exemestane) . I am having both these for 5 years.
I am 47 and was having regular periods before my chemotherapy. My oncologist said that because I was pre menopausal before treatment then I will be treated as such. I was offered tamoxifen for 10 years or Zoladex and Aromasin for 5 years. Research has shown the Zoladex and exemestane to be superior to tamoxifen in pre menopausal women so I opted for this treatment. I have done a lot of research and I am very happy with my decision.
The Zoladex shuts down the ovaries and the exemestane stops oestrogen from being produced in our fat so for ER receptive breast cancer this is in my opinion the best option for me .
i am 16 days into the hormone treatment so no side effects as yet. Would love to keep in touch with regards to how you get on with your injection and tablet.
HRT replaces oestrogen and we need oestrogen to be practically non existent so yes this injection and tablet will work opposite to HRT .
Hope this helps
Debs xx
Hi Claire and Tandy
mine me too was 8/8 oestrogen positive so a total oestrogen block should be a good thing. The side effects are worrying but all we can do is hope we don’t experience many and the ones we do are doable .
Zoladex will only bring us into an early menopause so the side effects will be ones we would have experienced anyway. The tablet has its own side effects .
Tandy , my injection is every 28 days but I have read that it can be administered every 3 months also. The nurses at my local doctors are doing mine .
Debsxxx