My mum had her first appointment at the Royals Marsden today. She had orginally been seen at a clinic in kent. She had a 4 cm tumour and were told the only way to get all the cancer out was a full masectomy or taking a new hormone drug called Letrazole. This is quite new and is often used rather than chemotherapy. She started this drug 2 and a half weeks ago and her tumour has already shrunk to 2.5 cm which is 37 percent in less than three weeks. She will need surgery no matter what, but hopefully a lot less invasive surgery. They again have looked at her nodes via ultra sound and say they do look clear, but won’t know for sure until they do the surgery. She goes back on 7th May to check the tumours progress, but I feel more optimistic today. Just wanted to share it with you all.
Love Jules xx
Has anyone else had any luck with this drug?
I am feeling so much better today about my mums cancer, but there is a part of me that feels I am being to positive and will there be falls further along the road.
J x
Hi Jules
Below I have posted the link to BCC’s publication on Letrazole. Hope it helps.
breastcancercare.org.uk/content.php?page_id=694
Kind regards,
Jo, Facilitator
I can’t comment on the drug as I’ve not had it… but I’m glad that it seems to be shrinking your Mum’s tumour and her surgery will be less invasive.
Fingers crossed that her nodes are clear.
Thank you Lilac (what a lovely name). I am almost to scared to be happy about it, but I guess the only way forward is to be positive.
J x
Hi there
I am so happy that the drug is working for your Mum. It seems to be working pretty fast, is she suffering any nasty side effects?
I’m interested in hearing about new treatments so let me know how she gets on, and I hope it will continue to be positive for her.
Cecelia. x
Thanks Cecelial. When she had the tests to see if the drug would work they said it was 8 out 10 to work. I think that means she i hormone positive. But I am not sure as I have not actually been to any of the appointments with her. She should have been going back to the Hospital in Kent to have the tumour checked after six weeks, but because she has had a referral to the Marsden they checked it after just two and half weeks, and probably were not expecting it to have shrunk as much as it did as I guess the other hospital would not have left the next appointment till six weeks. She will definately need surgery no matter what, as there will be lots of cancer cells floating around.
She has had a few bad headaches and hot flushes, but she said that has stopped BUT my mum never lets on or complaints so even if she was suffering she would probably say nothing!
The other clinic were going to fix a line in to mark the cancer, but the Marsden have started a new thing which is a tatoo on the breast where the tumour is, the reason they said this was better was sometimes the lines can move. They have said at the moment it looks like she will no need Chemotherapy but I am not sure if she will need radiotherapy as that was discussed at the first appointment as something they were going to do.
How are things going with your treatment Cecelial.
J x
Hi Jules, I am taking the drug letrozole (Femara) and am also being treated by the Marsden, seems that they often prescribe it (for hormone positive bc) rather than the related Arimidex. The side effects (hot flushes and joint aches) are mild for me. As you already know, it does a good job of shrinking a breast tumour and it also stops any other cancer cells in the body from growing - a “systemic” treatment.
I hope that your mum will not need chemotherapy… I have not had chemo.
And she has a very supportive daughter!
Yes, I echo that, what a supportive daughter. Your Mum, I’m sure really appreciates that. I had tattoos for radiotherapy, lovely new “moles”, battle scars! I hope your Mum does not need chemo but if she does, it is do-able and not as bad as you would imagine.
I have finished treatment now, chemo, mastectomy, rads, and now on Tamoxifen which I had a nightmare with nausea and hot flushes with for a month but it’s all settled down now. Just feel quite fatigued at times which I think is normal (only finished rads at the end of January), and a bit of bone ache but otherwise not too bad and trying to get back to normal.
Keep us posted on your Mum’s treatment. Good luck to you too Mrsblue.
Cecelia. x
Mrs Blue I am glad you are having the same treatment as my mum, it seems alot less barabaric that the chemo and a mastectomy. How long have you been on it and have you had your tumour checked to see how well it is working. Fingers crossed that you get as good results as my mum! 
Cecelial, I really feel for you, it sounds like you have been to hell and back, and you still type away cheerful and positive. My fingers are crossed for you too!
And regarding supporting my mum, I wish I could do alot more for her. But as long as she knows I love her and how much I care for her thats the best I can do.
(It was my birthday on Tuesday and we had a lovely shopping trip yesterday, she bought me lovely shoes and a dress and we had a lovely lunch and day together) I had her in stitches because I put a dress on in Next that cost £70 and the zip decided to get stuck when I had the dress on and they had to cut me out of it as it was a fitted dress! Least we had a giggle!
Hugs Jules xxxx
Hi Jules
Just read this thread after reading your other. What a lovely, lovely daughter you are ! Brought tears to my eyes.
I had mastectomy with immediate reconstruction, chemo, radiotherapy and now just started Herceptin.
As you say, your mum will need surgery but hopefully the tumour will continue shrinking and I am sure more ladies will reply to you regarding the Femara and their experiences.
Keep us posted !
Liz xx
Aww thanks Liz, I don’t see it as me being lovely, I just see it as me being normal. My mum would do anything for me and my sister. She is one of the kindest ladies who has ever walked this earth. I know everyone says this about their mum, but my mum is beautiful inside and out and touches everyone she meets with her kindness and lovely nature. I know when the day comes that my mum does finally die, I hope that wont be for years, but I know I will never ever get over it as she is one in a million. We were in Debenhams yesterday and this young girl who works behind the counter knows my mum has cancer, she ran over grabbed her arm and asked how she was gave her a hug and gave her lots of free samples of expensive make up etc lol Also she went to have her hair blown dry last week for a treat, she told the lady she wasnt sure if she could have colour incase in affected her cancer drugs. The lady made an excuse to pop out and came back in with two bunches of flowers for my lovely mum. I know I am going on lol but my mum is as well as my children the most important thing in my life.
It sounds like you have had a terrible time Lizzie, are you starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. I do hope you have nice people to hug and look after you.
Hugs Jules xxxx
Thank you and yes there is light ! I have 2 daughters who seem to think I am still the same mum and can run around for them. I have found it hard since last June as there hasn’t been a time when we have all been together that there hasn’t been rows. I know they care but it’s as though everything centres around them. I am hopefully going back to work in June and I know this is horrible but I am going to ask them not to come home (one works in Manchester and the other is at uni there) for a couple of weekends so that I can have some peace. I know they would be devastated if something happened to me but they are not making life easy for me at the moment.
I do have some lovely friends who really care and they keep me going. I also attend our local Cancer Help which I find very helpful emotionally.
Your mum is very lucky to have you.
Liz xx
Hi Jules - good morning!
First a comment about hair. One thing I (and my hairdresser!) have noticed is that my hair has become really wavy since I started taking letrozole (18 months ago). It had had a slight wave before, but then became unmanageable - however, it has now settled down and in fact when I had my hair done on Tuesday, she re-styled it slightly , I liked it and so did my husband (big WOOHOO )
Then I need to explain that I hesitated to reply to your original posting… the reason I didn’t have surgery is because I was sent for further tests, which showed several hotspots (secondaries) in the bones. I was devastated as you can imagine, but very soon I had a breast biopsy which showed a strongly hormone-positive bc. Hence the letrozole and a bone-strengthening drug.
Now, my bone secondaries are stable… and when I ask the oncs for a breast examination they can never find the lump, which is good news. I am now 58 by the way… enjoying life, a few wobbly moments which is normal for folks my age… and I have a wonderful daughter, whose birthday was also Tuesday!