Has any one else had zoladex injections for more than two years, I had breast cancer in 2005, six months of chemo, radiotherapy for five weeks, tamoxifen and what I thought Zoladex for two years, my onc has now said that I have to stay on zoladex for another two or three years. I am now thinking should I have overies taken out.
Hi
I am only 9 months into my 2 years of zoladex, but have been told it may be extended.
My onc doesn’t want me to bne on tamoxifen as I had blood clots on my lungs, so he may extend the zoladex.
I suppose there will be a reason behind the decision.
Good luck
Angie
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi
I was diagnosed with BC on 18th February 2008. I had a wide local excision last week and am awaiting my pathology results. I have been told that it’s an oestrogen postivive tumour so will need to have zoladex and tamoxifen. I am 39 so I’m a bit worried about what side effects I should expect, how have you found the treatment?
Many thanks
Kirsty
Have been told I will be on zoladex indefinetly. Have had 7 implants so far.
Jackie x
How come some people get Zoladex? I’m 38 on tamoxifen had chemo/on rads now. Very ER and PR positive. What’s it all about?
Feel like I’m missing out!
Vanessa
Hi Vanessa,
I am on rads, tamoxifen and zoladex. I think it all depends on what your grade etc is. I was grade 2 1.8cm er+ pr+ her2- nodes and margins clear. The Zoladex is to shut off my overies and was advised the only benefit of chemo for me would be to close off the overies.
I gather as you have had chemo your overies will have stopped for the time being.
I’m 39 so even after the 2 years zoladex I will be pre menopausal somaybe looking at overy removal then. I hope this helps but dont forget we are all slightly different and our programmes are rarely the same. I’ve still not worked out why I had 15 rads with 4 boosters (19 in total) when other people have 15 or 20 etc.
Believe me an injection in the abdomen you are not missing anything!!!LOL
Shonagh xx
It is incredibly confusing that so few people have identical treatment plans. I get mine on Weds - I am 2 1/2 weeks post-mastectomy/axillary clearance/DIEP recon - and have been told from the core biopsy that the tumour is ‘strongly oestrogen-receptive’ but no other results were available prior to the surgery. The breast surgeon said hormone treatment was very likely but I haven’t seen the oncologist yet. At 51, anything inducing menopause isn’t the end of the world, it’s looming anyway.
And how much of what is offered is open to us to decide? Do people tend to be given a choice - because if I’m given a free choice to accept their recommendations or not, I am not at all sure I’ll go through with anything else. Being cut about so much has really started to get to me today and I just want to be left alone now. Lyn xx
It is amazing how differently we are all treated. My tumours were 5.5 and 1.1 cm grade 2 same as Shonagh. I worry that I’m still having periods etc that Oestrogen is raging around still, hopefully the tamoxifen will block any nasties!! I sometimes feel hopefully but mostly feel like I’m just waiting for the other boob to get ‘it’! At least I wont be lope sided and could have two new ones built.
I have felt like I had no control over my treatment and cant help feeling that I should have been offered a mastectomy with immediate recon. At 38 I’m not really looking forward to two weeks on the beach this summer. Not sure I’ll be wearing my vests this year.
Having a crappy day today no 14 on rads 11 more to go and fed up after seven months of this thing controlling me and my body…
Rant rant rant. Sorry.
xx Vanessa
Hi Vanessa,
Really sorry you are having a crappy day. I’ve just finished my rads today after 19 so the thought of 11 more must be driving you mad.
I am still having periods even after the zoladex injections so not sure whats going on there. I know what you mean about just waiting for the other side to pop up (so to speak) I went with a lump in my left breast which turned out to be a cyst and they found cancer in the right breast that I didnt even know was there. My next appointment is with the surgeon on the 31st March and I’ll be honest I am completely expecting bad news. Throughout this whole thing I keep expecting the worse and then if its good news its a bonus. A bit negative perhaps but it does mean I go through life getting lots of good news.
I’ve not had a mastectomy but am left with a cup and a half difference but have worn nothing but vests thoughout the last 3 months and have got to the past caring what people think.7 months is a long time, I have been 3 months from dx to end of rads so its been much quicker so I cant even begin to imagine how all you girls who have had mastectomys, chemo etc must feel.
Be good to yourself hun… and dont apologise for ranting you deserve it and its completely allowed.
Love Shonagh xx
I had the choice of whether I had zoladex or not. I am 100% ER+ and PR+. Grade 2 . I had several injections but the side-effects were too bad and so I had to stop in January.
You are all so right about everyone being totally different. It’s important not to compare yourself or your treatment with what other people are having. No one ever seems to be the same.
love to all,
Jacki x
hello berry
i have been on zoladex for 3 years and my oncologist has recommended i stay on it for a further 2 years. I am 33 so they advised zoladex for 5 years as i was so young and my breast cancer was aggressive. I am on tamoxifen too and have had chemo, rads and herceptin.
I have recently moved to 3 monthly zoladex injections as i got so fed up on the monthly injections, i hated them and my stomach was getting sore, so now 3 monthly is much more manageable!
I hope this helps!
lol janet
xxx
I get monthly injections and hope to finish in August. Regarding the 3-monthly ones, I take it that it’s just one injection with a higher dose of Zoladex?
Read a post on here recently, sorry can’t rememebr who by, but it strongly advised against 3 monthly zoladex injections.
The poster had been told by her onc that 3 monthly are not licenced for BC.
My own onc said no to 3 monthly, when his registrar queried it at time of writing up first script, he simply said they aren’t as good.
Jackie x
Hi
Not sure if this link will stay but just thought it may help on this question.
cancerbackup.org.uk/Treatments/Hormonaltherapies/Individualhormonaltherapies/GoserelinBreast
The website is brilliant and so is the help line.
S x (I have mine 3 monthly and have been told its no different, its mad isnt it, you would think these oncologists would have a manual or something LOL!!)
Hi Custard,
Yes you would as I have been having mine three monthly for two years.
My oncologist is very good and has very good reputation so I can’t imagine he would be prescribing a treatment that isn’t very good.
Denio x
Hi Denio,
Thanks for that, when I read the 3 monthly thing not being licenced I nearly had a nervous breakdown as this would be the second time this week I had been told on here that my oncologist doesnt seem to know what he is doing so to get some positive feedback was fantastic, I cant thank you enough.
Needless to say I went into overdrive on the googling and went to cancer backup and if they say its ok for 3 monthly thats ok by me. I also went onto the astra zenica (the people who make zoladex) and had a read about it and am now convinced what I actually need to do is stop reading too much into everything. My oncologists job is keep me alive so I have to assume he is giving me the best treatment for me. As long as my periods have stopped it must be doing the job because thats what its for isnt it.
Thanks again for the re assurance. Love Shonagh xx
Well done Shonagh,
If you hadn’t been googling You wouldn’t have been able to post the link for us!!
Wish I could remember who posted the previous info, (chemo brain 18 months on), as she was quite emphatic about the licence!
A search of previous posts might reveal all I guess.
In my own case I started zoladex after my second recurrence, had already been taken off tamoxifen and put on Femera after first recurrence, but the oestragen just won’t leave me alone!
I have IBC and am looked after by two oncologists, local hosp and Dr Johnson at the Marsden.
Without confidence in our oncs we would be lost and I trust mine to be giving me the best treatment…for me.
There must be a reason why there are both monthly and three monthly implants available and a reason why some of us are prescribed differently, I’m due at the Marsden on 7th April and think I’ll ask!
Jackie x
Ladies
i too have an amazing oncologist who assures me that 3 monthly zoladex is fine for BC.
Its so hard with all these different treatment sets going around. The good thing is we are all on zoladex in one form or another and its doing its job!! No oestrogen here thanks!!
anne61 in answer to your question yes its just one implant with triple the dose!!!
janetxxx
So glad to hear that the three monthly injections are ok as I was a bit worried the other day when I read that they weren’t recommended as I get the three monthly implant.
Best wishes,
Teacup xx
Hiya –
Coming at this ‘licence’ thing from a different angle – I work in a veterinary practice and we often use drugs that are not ‘licenced’ for a particular animal. In the vet world, this means that not a huge amount of official testing has been done with a drug on a particular animal. For example, I have 6 house rabbits. There is an inflammatory painkiller called Metacam that is only licenced for dogs and cats (i.e. had full research done on these two species). However, vets everywhere will prescribe this to rabbits as it has had excellent results. There just has not been the official research on rabbits and Metacam. I’ve used this drugs on my pets and it works brilliantly.
Might be totally different for humans – not a clue there – but perhaps the licence thing just means that no official research has been done on the three monthly injections but many oncologists have found it to be just effective as the monthly one. My consultant also recommended the three monthly one to me, but I stopped the monthly ones cos of problems.
Please note that I am just guessing and don’t really have a clue!!
I guess if you are taking the longer acting injections and you are worried, you should talk to whoever has put you on them rather than panic about what you have read on this site.
Jacki xx