Hi all
I am a little confused as my oncologist told me that this course of chemotherapy would “smash my ovaries to pieces” and bring on early menopause but I have read on here about girls having Fec-t then going on to have children or their periods starting again afterwards.
I am a little worried as its the oestrogen that is feeding my cancer and so if the chemo is not going to kill off my ovaries then surely something needs to e done with them??
Does any one have any information on this at all???
Thank you xx
Bump! X
Hi Jlr,
I was told a similar thing (being 43 and getting FEC-T) but not in quite such a blase manner! I was told that it was likely I would be pushed into the menopause by the chemo, but does not always happen, but if it didn’t the Tamoxifen I take afterwards would almost certainly bring on the menopause because of how the drug works (blocking oestrogen receptors). My understanding was that the temporary menopause would possibly last long enough to go beyond our natural menopause which apparently happens around the age of 50, about the age we will be at the end of 5 years of hormone treatment.
There are a few different therapies available, including ovarian ablation which stops the ovaries from producing oestrogen. I am not sure at what point this is offered, but this has not been mentioned to me yet…
This is all from memory from a meeting with the onc two weeks ago, but you have peaked my interest and will have to go away and check this out! If I find out anything interesting, I will let you know!
Best wishes,
MM x
Hi, I’ve been given Zoladex injections to shut down ovaries (had EC chemo) then will be given letrozole. I am 43
Best to double check with your onc.
Kind regards
Mel
Jlr, assume you’ll be on tamoxifen? If so then this stops oestrogen binding to any cells, therefore the cancer has nothing to enable it to divide and grow. I started FEC March 2012, age 44, my periods had stopped by the April, I haven’t had one since. I was told there was less chance of them returning at my age, but I’m on tamoxifen so not unduly concerned at this stage, if they did come back I’d speak to my onc. I’d take it one step at a time and get through chemo first, your ovaries may not recover.
Hi Jlr,
I was just turned 45 when I started FEC-T chemo in January 2011 and was pre-menopausal. I had a period round the time of FEC1 and haven’t had anything since.
I’ve been on Tamoxifen since the end of May 2011 and will be on it for 5 years. My tumour was ER 6+
The plan then is to do a blood test to see if I’ve naturally entered the menopause “underneath” the effect of the Tam as I’ll be 50 by then. If so, I’ll then go onto 3 years of Letrozole. If not, I’ll have another 5 years of Tamoxifen, then the 3 years of Letrozole.
My onc told me that she doesn’t expect my periods to return and I’ve to let her know if I have any bleeding. She didn’t think that an oopherectomy or ovary ablation would be necessary as the Tam should do the job on its own.
I have achy joints and regular and frequent hot flushes (luckily they don’t make me sweat) and my onc doesn’t expect that to improve now, as any improvement normally happens after a couple of months of Tam, if it’s going to. I had my first hot flush a few hours after my first dose of Tax. It’s a small price to pay really, and being well past the age when I’d want more children, a rapid crash-bang-wallop menopause hasn’t been a problem for me. In fact it’s quite liberating not to have periods!
Jane xxx
I’m glad others have answered. Your oncologist sounds like a real charmer!!! 
Thank you everyone! That all makes more sense to me now! And yes my oncologist is hysterical but very very straight talking just says it how it is, he basically told me that surgery should have done the job but as he s a nasty bar steward then he is going to put me through 6 months of hell with the chemo which as I said earlier he said would smash my ovaries to pieces and therefore hit menopause like a train but this was all in aid of giving me who he said had a bright chance an even brighter one, but even though he would love to give me a guarantee that it won’t come back he can’t! Very very straight lol! Xx
Hi Jlr,
I think it is all so individual here - no-one can predict exactly what course they will take. I was 44 when I had FEC-T, it stopped my periods, then I went on to have five years of tamoxifen, again no periods. I finished tamoxifen last October, fully expecting to be completely through the menopause, then periods started again in January - after 5 1/2 years, aged 50! I am currently all over the place, hot flushes, hormonal spots, bleeding, isn’t it great! I am worried about this, and would have gone running straight to the doctor, but my next (and hopefully last) checkup is in April so I will wait till then. At least by then I will have three months of ‘period history’ so we can have an indication of whether this is something regular or just my body in the last throws of hormonal activity.