No more Anastrazole

Going through breast cancer treatment Hormone therapy
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I wanted to share this in case there are others in a similar position to me. 
I realise we are all different but I am big into sharing info. 

background first. I was diagnosed with DCIS in November. First WLE in December didn’t get clear margins but I was told there we’d two small areas of invasion … very small and successfully removed … but that it was oestrogen positive. Second op in January resulted in clear margins and nothing in lymph nodes tested. I was put on anastrazole immediately which I took for 7 weeks but my mental health suffered terribly so I was allowed a 6 week break and was due to have a review today . 
since then I have also had my course of radiotherapy 

The nurse practitioner I saw today went through all of my concerns and then did the predict test with me …. I had done it at home … and my benefit after 10 years if I took hormone therapy as well as having had surgery was 0.5% and even she said that it was really not worth me taking it. It would really give me no benefit. 

I am thrilled as I really didn’t want to take it as I believe that unless it gives you real benefit, stripping your body of oestrogen isn’t a good thing. However I am cross as to why this wasn’t done when I was prescribed the pills. If I hadn’t been so adamant I didn’t want to take it I would have carried on for 5 years, possibly suffering nasty side effects, costing the NHS unnecessary money as I have free prescriptions plus the costs of calcium tablets, Dexa scans, extra blood tests and treatment for possible side effects. All for pretty much no benefit.

I am certainly not saying it isn’t right for many many people but I think it is prescribed as a matter of course and it really isn’t needed in all the cases it is prescribed for. 

my reason for posting this is simply to raise awareness. We are all different and yet we are not always treated differently and I do urge everyone To check and weigh up the benefits. This is the first time in my 62 years I have ever questioned medical advice. It felt bad doing it but I am so pleased I did. 

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Hi Dolly dreams

Thanks for posting this.

According to Predict, my HT benefit is 1% for 5 years, 2% for 10 and 3% for 15. The prescribing thresholds are indeed lower than chemo (none <3%, consider 3-5%, prescribe >5% benefit at 10 years), presumably due to lesser side effect profile (real and perceived), but also in the absence of chemo to offer a proven systemic adjuvant therapy for ER+ women in addition to local treatments.

Many women have a thoroughly miserable time with HT, but it’s still a very tricky decision to make when the benefits are modest and it takes courage to opt out.

It’s good that you were able to complete RT as this will give you much peace of mind following your decision to stop anastrazole. I opted, together with my oncologist, for belt & braces radiotherapy just in case I was unable to tolerate anastrazole longer term as you can’t go back later for RT. Early days, tolerating it so far, but its certainly not a walk in the park…

No reason to feel bad!! We have every right to question our treatments. I hope you continue to heal well, keep well and find your ‘new normal’ faster!

JS64

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I agree it would have given you very little benefit

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