ER positive
Wondering if anyone has had recurrence with tamoxifen use?
Wondering if anyone has had recurrence without tamoxifen use?
wondering if anyone remains cancer free with tamoxifen use?
Wondering if anyone remains cancer free without tamoxifen use?
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NativeMaine… Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 478 |
May 17, 2008 08:18 am
NativeMainer wrote:
Amber-- the answer to all of your questions is "yes." In node-negative bc, 60% of the time all the cancer is removed by surgery. There just isn't any way to know which women are in that 60%, so all women are treated as though they are in the 40% who aren't 'cured' by surgery alone. When there are positive nodes, the 'cured' percentage is assumed to be lower, but this has not been studied scientfically so there are no statistics to go with this situation. I'm sure you will hear from women on this board soon from each of the categories--some with recurrences and some without. It's been said quite often on this board--it's a crap shoot. dx 3/07, Stage 2, Grade 2 IDC, 2.8cm, ER+PR+, Her2(-), SN-, lumpectomy & rads
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Member_of_t… Joined: Sep 2004 Posts: 4417 |
May 17, 2008 10:37 am
Member_of_the_Club wrote:
What are looking for for with these questions? Some kind of assurance your cancer won't come back? because you will hear from women who had recurrences, and then that is just going to reenforce your anxiety.
Dx 9/30/2004, IDC, 3cm, Stage IIb, Grade 2, 1/17 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2- |
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VBG Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 153 |
May 17, 2008 02:12 pm
VBG wrote:
Okay so I am one of the women that tamox did not work for. I even did the "liver enzyme" test to see if I was a "high" metabolizer of tamox or a "low" metabolizer . Turns out I was a high metabolizer so tamox should have been effective for me but it was not. Nor was radiation. In my orginal surgery they got clear margins and I had no node involvement, stage 1-grade 1. As others have said it is a crap shoot. Luckily for me I was aggressive in my follow up and told my Onc that I should get annual MRIs in addition to mammo/ultra sound and we found my recurrence 18 months after my original dx and it was only 6 mm. I has an excisional biopsy and 2 weeks ago a bi lat. Good news is no sign of cancer in the tissue they removed! Pet scan showed no sign of cancer. I would suggest staying optimistic about your outcome but also stay vigilant. I believe that the key is "staying in front" of BC and being proactive about your care. If I had not pushed for the MRI I would not have found out about the recurrence or the fact that the Tamox was not working for me. I have also had my ovaries removed and I am on to AIs in the next couple of weeks. One thing I am sure of is that I will kick cancers butt, it will not kick mine! Valerie recurrence 12/07 ILC stage 1 grade 1 6mm; 4/29/08 bilat/recon/ooph
Dx 5/21/2006, ILC, 1cm, Stage I, Grade 1, 0/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2- |
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BinVA Joined: May 2007 Posts: 1204 |
May 17, 2008 04:03 pm
BinVA wrote:
Amber, Recurrence is something we all agonize over. Whether we're ER+ or ER-. You and I have pretty much the same dx, mine a year before yours. We both had IDC and Valerie had ILC. ILC is a little trickier to detect, as it can grow in "sheets" and hide behind other things in the breast. I had a lumpectomy and radiation. I also had a total hysterectomy prior to getting cancer and was on HT, so when diagnosed, I was taken off the hormones immediately and went into instant menopause. I tried Arimidex and had SE's I couldn't manage so quit taking it. I also tried Tamoxifen twice with intolerable SE's of nausea and depression. We've decided to lower the dosage, as I can manage it at a lower dose. The SE's I had on this medicine are usually not the normal ones. Taking an AI or Tamoxifen does lower our risk of recurrence. That's why I'm trying it again at a lower dose, as it's been suggested I'm a "super" metabolizer. As ER+, our risk increases each year. I'd say with our dx, we're somewhere between the 60-70% recurrence risk at 10 years without Tamox or an AI. That can be cut in half with the medicine. I've agonized over this for a year. Quality of life versus recurrrence risk versus the unknown. I was 51 when when diagnosed. There are no guarantees. We do everything we can, try to find a way to stay in the moment, and live in the day we have today. Valerie is right ... stay on top of your tx and follow-up. Give the meds a try and see how you do on them. When my mind gets too crazy ... I go outside and dig in the yard. Best wishes to you. Bren |
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