What to do after 5 years??

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Hi All

It’s a long time since I have been on here but I just wanted to ask you wonderful ladies for any feedback you may have.

I was dx Decenber 2005 with a 1.4cm node negative lump.I had a lumpectomy, chemo ( was borderline but had it anyway), radiotherapy and 5 years of tamoxifen.

I have just been for my 5 year check and thankfully all was well. HOwever . . .I have now been given the choice of stopping tamoxifen and taking nothing else or stoppig tamoxifen and having monthly injections to stop my ovaries as I am only peri and not post menopausal and taking Femara for another 5 years. I have a 4% recurrence rate on Femara and 7% if I take nothing over the next five years so less that 1% per year on Femara and just over 1% per year on nothing.

I am SO SO fed up. I really thought that this would be the end and now it’s like they have moved the goal posts. I have also read taht the side efects of these 3 monthly injections plus Femara are horrendous. I am only 47 and don’t want to feel like an 80 year old.

As I am “low risk” I am wondering if it is worth it but I am scared that if I don’t have it and I get bc back I will always blame myself?

Has anybody been faced with this choice and what did you do? Can any ladies give me some feeecback that are on these injections plus Femara or another AI?

Thank you all for listening.

Love Alise x x

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Hi Alise

Not everyone has bad side effects. It is a case often of finding the one that works for you. I was OK on Tamoxifen, apart from ocassional hot flushes, then after having my ovaries removed was put onto Aromasin, I had REALLY painful aching joints, so much so that they masked bone mets. (I put the pain in my leg down to Aromasin AND it didn’t work for me and the cancer returned in my bones and breast.) I was then changed to Femara which I am very happy to take, for a start it appears to be preventing further spread and I haven’t had any SEs yet, not even hot flushes!

As for Zoladex, I did have this for a while, but had it alongside chemo, so any SEs I attributed to the chemo. The injection is painful, but there are ways to lessen the pain, cream or more experienced nurses!

Femara has been a success for me, yet Aromasin was horrendous. It may just be a case of trial and error, as everybody is different. Speaking as a secondaries lady I would do everything in my power to prevent return even if it was just that 1%.

Take care and hope you make a decision that is right for you.

Nicola