Hi ladies, this is a long one… I’m hoping someone can shed some light and/or past experience on this. I need some help with making my decision on whether to go on tamoxifen or not.
Background - I’m 27, was diagnosed in June with TNBC, from the biopsy it showed 1-10% ER. But my entire treatment plan was based around being triple negative. 13 rounds of chemotherapy, surgery and now radiotherapy.
I have had a complete pathological response to chemo and there was no evidence of any disease in any of my lymph nodes or breast tissue that was removed in surgery. Radiotherapy is now just as an extra precaution and as there was cancer in the lymph nodes in my neck which couldn’t be operated on.
Given my diagnosis and response to treatment I was surprised when my oncologist still has offered tamoxifen.
I know I should be ‘happy’ as it’s a way of preventing reoccurrence and if I was completely TN I wouldn’t be offered anything. But I just can’t help but think that I’m so borderline (3/8) ER that will it even make a difference? And if I was to go on it, can I still get a reoccurrence anyway? And that my oncologist has said that I should give it a go and I can come off it if the side affects are bad… but why test it out and put up with the side affects if he’s so open to me coming off it…
I just really want my life back and to start thinking about having a family. I would love to also know will my periods come back, I was unable to have any fertility treatment in place before chemo due to the aggressiveness of my cancer so I’m very conscious of that as well I would like to take advantage of my youth and start a family as soon as, so I feel like going on tamoxifen is just delaying that even more…
I don’t really know what I’m directly asking but just if anyone on here of a similar age has been in this position of response to chemo and type of cancer, what you decided on and your outcome?
Any responses are greatly appreciated, feel like every time I overcome one hurdle there’s another one lined up…