In a state of confusion and wanted to get some advice on the various hormone treatments and future pregnancy.
I was diagnosed last month and have just had the results from surgery.
I know I should be feeling ecstatic that the tumour removal was successful and there is no evidence of spread to the lymph nodes but just after I got the good news I was then thrown into turmoil over the hormone therapy.
I am oestrogen receptive and the advice is after radiotherapy I should have tamoxifen for 5 years.
I am 36 with no children and had hoped to start a family soon.
I am worried that at 42 my fertility will be greatly reduced and as my partner will be 48 by then I feel it is just too late to start particularly as we have always planned to have more than one.
My Consultant has said that I could have Zoladex and Arimidex together for 2 years but has warned me about the menopausal state and side effects of this route.
I haven’t asked yet about having my eggs harvested now but reading some of the postings here it seems like this would be a risk due to the oestrogen surge.
All the options I am faced with at the moment seem to be pretty cr*p - can anyone offer any advice?
Hi Totty
Welcome to the Breast Cancer Care forums. I am sure you will receive lots of advice and support from our users.
You may be interested in our publication on the subject of fertility issues. I have given the link here:
breastcancercare.org.uk/docs/fertility_issues_feb_06_0.pdf
I do hope you find this helpful.
Kind regards
Louise
Facilitator
Hi totty,
I am 35, and was diagnosed in march last year. My bc is also hormone receptive and so I have been on Tamoxifen since Nov (which I’ll take for 5 years) and Zoladex since Jan (which I’ll have for 2 years).
I totally appreciate how you feel. We don’t yet have any children but it was definately something we wanted to do sooner rather than later. Now, we won’t be able to start trying for a baby until I finish the Tamox, and I’ll be 40 by then. Prior to starting chemo me and my OH did a lot of soul searching and decided against getting any eggs harvested as I didnt want to delay the start of chemo. As it happens my BC nurse later said that fertility treatment would not have been an option for me anyway, as my tumour was strongly Er+ and the treatment would involve large amounts of hormones.
The Tamoxifen alone didn’t stop my periods, so I was then started on Zoladex. I am hoping and praying that when all this is finished I will still be fertile. I am quietly confident as my periods continued as normal throughout chemo and still when I started Tamoxifen. Now I am on the Zoladex I am starting to experience menopausal symptoms, mainly hot flushes and night sweats. I am hoping that these are only temporary though, and when I stop the hormone treatment I will still be able to conceive.
The possibility of not being able to have children of our own is not something I want to really think about at the moment. Right now all I can do is keep everything crossed that the Tamox and Zoladex is doing its job and keeping the cancer at bay. Hopefully we will still be able to have a family in 5 years, but I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
I wish you all the very best as you continue on this journey. Do keep in touch and let me know how you’re doin,
Take care,
Kelly
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Hi Kelly
Sorry for the delay in responding. Thank you for your thoughts they have given me some confidence that I am making the right decisions.
I met with the ONC last week and we have decided Zoladex and Arimidex is the best route. They are going to start me straight away to help cut the time issue down.
I have my first injection tomorrow so that will be fun! Then I will strat 6 1/2 weeks of rads in a couple of weeks - more fun!
I checked and I am strongly ER+ (7 or 8 on a scale of 8 apparently) so like you the harvesting route is not an option.
How long were you on Zoladex before the symptoms kicked in?
Totty x
Hiya totty,
No worries about the delay in responding, I’m just glad I could help. I was on Zoladex for a good couple of weeks before the symptoms started kicking in. My gp said that the flushes would start within 48 hrs of having the first implant but this wasn’t the case at all. I even had a period in the second week!
I must say that so far I have not found the Tamoxifen and Zoladex to be too troublesome at all. I get quite achey at times and feel like an old woman, and also I suffer with night sweats and the odd hot flush, but I can’t complain really.
I hope your first implant goes ok today. It is a little painful but over v.quickly. I have my next one on friday, I’m supposed to be going on to the 12 week prep then, but have decided to continue on the 28 day as it suits me quite well and better the devil you know and all that! My onc has recommended that I now take Vit D and calcium supplements as the risk of osteoporosis is quite high what with the Zoladex and Tamoxifen, so I’ll pick them up on friday too.
Best of luck with the rads, not that you’ll need it I’m sure! Just be sure to moisturise, moisturise, moisturise and you won’t go far wrong,
Take care and let me know how your first implant went,
Kelly
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Kelly
Actually the implant was no trouble at all really. The nurse was very good and suggested I cough just as she put the needle in and I do think that helped.
With everything else that’s been done to me in the last couple of weeks it was a relative breeze!
I start my Arimidex next week as well so I will let you know how that goes.
I haven’t heard about the 12 week prep is that just a longer lasting version?
My Onc did suggest about the calcium and that I should look to increase the amount of milk and cheese in my diet to help with this.
Have you found you have gained any weight?
I have read that some people do so added to the extra cheese etc I expect to be the size of a house!!!
Speak soon.
Totty x
Hi Totty,
glad the implant went ok. Might have to give that coughing thing a try myself! I am slowly but surely losing weight. I gained v.little weight whilst on chemo and defo haven’t gained any weight since starting the Zoladex and tamox. I have to weigh myself daily as I have heart failure, so I have know exactly whats what, and (finally) I have begun to lose weight. Hurrah!!!
I had my latest implant last fri, decided to stick with the 28 day one as per usual, my gp was more than happy with that,
Hope you are doin ok,
Take care and ‘speak’ soon,
Kelly
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