Hi all just a quick question and to see if anyone has any advice.
I was dx Dec 2007, WLE, nodes clear grade 2 1.8cm er/pr+ her neg. Rads 2 years zoladex and 5 tamoxifen. Before I started the zoladex was talking to my onc and asked what happens after the 2 years are over as I will still be pre menopausal and as oestrogen is obviously not my friend. Onc suggested oopherectomy but said no rush and as I was keen to get back to work said later this year was fine. I have now been told by my GP they have received a letter saying there is no benefit to having the oopherectomy. So now I am confused. To be honest its taken me this long to finally get to grips with the menopausal symptoms and the thought of going through it all again in my 50’s (I was 40 in June) is not something I fancy.
Is there anyone out there who has insisted on an oopherectomy not just for the menopause issue but for peace of mind and how do you go about asking for this kind of treatment. I wouldnt mind so much but it was them that put the idea in my head in the first place!!!
Im similar to you. DX Feb 08, age 34, 2.1cm grade 3 , WLE, clear nodes, er+ pr+ her2+, Rads, 2 years zoladex and 5 years tamoxifen. My Onc told me before I started zoladex that at any time during the 2 years I could opt for oopherectomy by keyhole and stop zoladex. I intend to have the op this summer, after approx 14 months zoladex. Have been told may make slight difference in stopping reccurance once zoldaex finishes and also removes possibility of ovarian cancer ( although none in family). I think its worth it as its only a minor op. My onc will refer me when i want.
I spoke to my onc about this yesterday. He is of the opinion that in my case age 47 this year er+ pre menopause that the only benefit to having ovaries removed would be no chance of ovarian cancer but this is small risk anyway as no history in family. Disadvantages - early menopause and bone thinning, althiugh they could monitor that and give me tablets etc to help if it happened. However my reason for wanting ovaries removed was so that I didn’t have to have tamoxifen but he said that he would recommend taking that as well as ovary removal. His final words were he couldn’t advise either way as the best way as everyone is defferent and because of my age it makes it an even greyer area! great.
Caz x
Hi custard (S),
I won’t try to give you advice but will just mention that I got bc (dx at age 56, ER+ PR+ Her-) after having ovaries removed/hysterectomy (for benign ovarian cysts and a fibroid) at age 50. No known history of cancer in family. I am now on Femara(letrozole).
Hi, I have just had my ovaries removed in December. All ok now. I am 36 and my onc put me on Zolodex injections at first, but at that first discussion with her I asked what would happen after the 5 years of Zolodex (making me only 41, and probably still on going through the natural change) she said they would start up again probably. I asked there and then for my ovaries removed, she agreed (I did get the impression she was stearing me towards this decision without actually pin pointing it - was alsmost like I had to ask for it rather then her offering) straight away and wrote to gyne, there was a 3 month wait and then they were done.
I didnt see the point of the injections for 5 years (which were horrid) only to be again at risk. Have two children and dont want any more, so for me wasnt a difficult decision. I do not regret it and side effects havnt been too bad for me. I am now on Femara, which seems to suit me.
Thank you all for your advice and experiences. I have my next appointment with my onc in April so am definately going to tackle him on the issue. I definately want them out mainly for peace of mind and your comments have helped. I’m typically British and just say OK to keep the peace but feel this is one I need to shout out for. My onc is a lovely man and I’m sure I wont have any problems but if it comes down to it I’ll go the GP route.
Thanks again for the help and support, as ever BC Babes to the rescue. S x
Before I found out I was a BRCA1 carrier everyone was of the mindset that removing ovaries would be a bad idea as there’s no family history of ovarian cancer that we know of and the risk of osteoporosis was just not worth it. As soon as the BRCA gene was found there was a complete flip and everyone was, oh don’t worry we can manage that!
It’s all true, there are risks and there are ways of managing it. Ask to see a gynae, they’re much more pragmatic IMO.