When to start letrozole - before or after RT?

Going through breast cancer treatment Hormone therapy
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Hi @fizzie5

Thanks for sharing with me. I wish you wellness for your journey through RT.

I like the idea of having a graduated start, i will speak to the team and see what they say.

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My surgery got postponed and when I asked my surgeon what the impact on my cancer would be, he started me on Letrozole straight away and before the actual surgery 2 months later. I then had radiotherapy a couple of months after that. I am one of the lucky ones with manageable side effects. The radiotherapy was ok with only minor skin changes. I did moisturise and used special cream for use during radiotherapy treatment. I am also on Ibandronic Acid.

Hope all goes well for you and like others say, everyone is different.

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Like so many of the people here, you’ve been so brave @mela, that’s amazing!

Thanks for sharing what’s been happening for you. I will draw strength from your experience too.

I wish you all thinks good :smiling_face:

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Hi

I started letrozole pre my Radiotherapy , which i had for 5 days .I have had zero side effects from letrozole and have been taking it since March , so please dont be sucked in by all the horror stories, for me its been fine. I found the radiotherapy harder than i imagined mainly because of the breath holds .I had no side effects from Radio either .Keep a positive mindset i am sure it helps .Good luck with everything .

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Thank you @sallyb66

I’m glad things have gone well for you, wishing you all the best

I’m in the place where a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing! You are right in that its much easier to casterophise, it takes work to build resilience and develop a positive mindset. I’m going to keep trying.

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I started Letrozole several weeks before RT so was used to the aches and pains by then. No side effects from 5 days of RT and was back running the day after - but 2-3 months on, the soreness/hardness/stiffness kicked in!! (The breast surgery exercises are helping). Good luck with whatever you decide.

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Thanks everyone for sharing. I had wide excision surgery in April, after chemo and Phesgo, and came back cancer free. I have been given prescription for Letrozole and Adcal. Also to have 5 days Radiotherapy and six monthly Bisphosphonates. I have not started any of these. I had just started Ezetimibe so didn’t want to to start two new drugs at the same time. Because I’m on Trastuzumab every 3 weeks, the nurse advised it was ok not to start . I am very worried about the potential side effects of these adjuvant treatments because I suffered really bad side effects from Chemo. I have delayed all until September as we have a family holiday booked in August and wanted to enjoy it feeling well for a change. I was unsure about starting Letrozole at the same time as Radiotherapy so it has been useful to know that others have been advised not to have them at the same time. (I seriously fear starting Letrozole at all. Unhappy at the prospect of gaining weight, having lost nearly 2 stone through treatment). So again good to know some people have no side effects. I will try it but reluctantly.

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Thanks for your reassurance. I’m really worried about the potential side effects.

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Thanks for sharing @sassy4

It’s good to hear your honest and meaningful experience.

I wish you all things good as you move through this :heart:

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@jom2 you’ve been through such a lot, you’re here and you’ve got the support of all of us!

You need to do what’s right for your head… and your body.

I hope you have an amazing holiday and i wish you strength for your journey ahead​:cherry_blossom:

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I get my path results today so this thread is very useful and has made me realise that I have a choice about when to start Letrozole, which the nurse has already told me I will be prescribed. I just wanted to thank everyone for sharing their stories and their courage and determination.

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I started my Letrozole even before my surgery and still on it for another 8 years. I didn’t stop taking it when I was on RT. I had little or no side effects from Letrozole and RT didn’t make it worse. The odd bit of fatigue I experienced from my 15 rounds of RT was just that, off bits. Make sure you look after your skin pre, during and post RT and you should be fine. Hope that helps, shout if you want a further chat or call Someone Like Me to speak to someone just like you. Hugs and best wishes x

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@irenko, that’s so good to hear. I hope your journey is going well and will continue to do so.

It’s been interesting reading everyone’s comments, they’ve mostly been really positive stories which has given me confidence to move on my journey with less fear. Thank you.

Can i ask, what creams / moisturisers did you find most beneficial?

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@hjb1, I’ve never been one for forums, or social media but i found myself alone.

This has been a wonderful experience and put some of my faith back in humanity. People actively engage and are kind.

I’ve just returned from my initial appointment for RT, which should start in August. I’ve agreed to begin letrozole 2 weeks after that.

I wish you well.

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I used Aquaphor as that was recommended to me by a friend who’d used it during her journey and bizarrely a chemist in Portugal also recommended it when I’d gone a bit red on my holiday there months after - which shows that you really do have to be careful whilst it’s still in your body. The chemist really rated it.

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Thanks so much for your reply Oriana. I haven’t used the forum before either but now I will definitely keep an eye on topics and contribute as it’s so good to hear from people going through the same stuff.

I hope your RT goes ok and is manageable. Sending you all the best :hugs:

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Thanks! I’ll have a look at that

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I moisturised with body lotion and then MooGoo udder cream for 2 weeks before treatment. Then used Flamiget RT (from Amazon) for my week of treatment and a week or so after until my breast stopped feeling hot. Now back on the MooGoo for a couple of weeks.

I tried the Epimax I was given at the hospital and Aquaphor but disliked the feel on my skin.

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Thank you so much for the recommendations @bluetit11.. I know it’s going to be about what works best for me but it’s so useful to get a starting point, especially for before it all starts.

I should be seeing the RT team 10 days before the treatment begins.

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