Good report but I have a question about oophorectomy

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Boppy_of_6
Boppy_of_6 Member Posts: 1,138
edited June 2011 in Breast Cancer #1
I saw my Onc. yesterday for my 15 month appt. Everything was good, labs and all were great! He talked to me about having an oophorectomy (removal of ovaries) I am on tamoxifen and have been for 10 mos. He said in looking at my individual stats and all he thought it would be to my advantage to have ovaries removed and switch from tamoxifen to aromasin. I trust and respect my Onc. he is up on all the lastest studies. I see GYN. on the 28th. I was just wondering who has had this procedure done and what opinions you wonderful sisters have. God Bless
(((hugs))) Janice

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  • mamolady
    mamolady Member Posts: 796 Member
    #2
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    oophorectomy
    When I was diagnosed in October and found out that my tumors are estrogen and progesterone positive I asked my doctor if that would help. I am having the surgery a week after I finish Radiation. The recovery should only be a couple to a few days. That way I can still get back to work August first.
    I also heard at the Cancer Survivor day at Kaiser, that switching to an AI after tamoxifen can offer better long term results. Please check with your doc on that one.

    For me, it will mean not having to take tamoxifen! I can go straight to an AI.

    Good luck,
    Cindy
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #3
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    @janice
    I just had complete hysterectomy due to side effects of tamoxifen after 2 1/2 yrs...i had thickening of uterus and then bleeding after 4+ years meno....I had him remove everything....


    Denise
  • Foxlairfrm
    Foxlairfrm Member Posts: 26
    #4
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    Do it
    Janice,
    Do it! If it was normal proceedure 14 yrs ago for estrogen receptive BC, I may not be fighting a recurrence with mets to the bones. Talking with Dr's now, they would have done it. Not saying that's why it's back, but I believe it would have reduced the chances.
    Good luck
    Deborah
  • Boppy_of_6
    Boppy_of_6 Member Posts: 1,138
    #5
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    Foxlairfrm said:

    Do it
    Janice,
    Do it! If it was normal proceedure 14 yrs ago for estrogen receptive BC, I may not be fighting a recurrence with mets to the bones. Talking with Dr's now, they would have done it. Not saying that's why it's back, but I believe it would have reduced the chances.
    Good luck
    Deborah

    Thank you all
    If my GYN will agree I think I will have it done. @ Cindy my Onc. did say it would be better in the long run to do this and switch from Tamoxifen to an AI. I am willing to do it to get off the tamoxifen and increase the odds of it not reccuring! God Bless
    (((hugs))) Janice
  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    #6
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    Foxlairfrm said:

    Do it
    Janice,
    Do it! If it was normal proceedure 14 yrs ago for estrogen receptive BC, I may not be fighting a recurrence with mets to the bones. Talking with Dr's now, they would have done it. Not saying that's why it's back, but I believe it would have reduced the chances.
    Good luck
    Deborah

    Ask about taking it all out
    I know too many women who have developed endometrial cancer after menopause (including me). None of them (including me) were even on Tamoxifen. In fact, I'm the only one who had breast cancer at all, and I had it at the same time. If you don't have a uterus, you won't have to worry about getting endometrial cancer. Ditto for ovaries and ovarian cancer. My vast and extensive medical research (not) causes me to believe that because fewer and fewer "unnecessary" hysterectomies are being performed on younger women, we'll see an increase in gynecologic cancers, particularly endometrial simply because there are more women with parts intact. This is just my gut feeling.

    Because I had more than one episode of postmenopausal bleeding, my gyn agreed to perform a prophylactic hysterectomy. Unfortunately, my last biopsy showed cancer, so it was done for cancer instead. Fortunately, it was early stage, low grade. Two of my good friends who are the same age as me had fewer symptoms than me and their endometrial cancer was more advanced. It's a crap shoot and it sucks. If they're going after your ovaries, they might as well take the uterus, too. We were all postmenopausal. Our ovaries had stopped working long ago, but we still got endometrial cancer, and at least mine was estrogen driven even with nonfunctioning ovaries.

    It may be that with no ovaries and being on aromotase inhibitors, your uterus is protected. It's also useless, so why keep it?

    I honestly feel pretty strongly about this having experienced this with me and 2 friends in the past year. That hits far too close to home.

    Suzanne
  • Boppy_of_6
    Boppy_of_6 Member Posts: 1,138
    #7
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    Double Whammy said:

    Ask about taking it all out
    I know too many women who have developed endometrial cancer after menopause (including me). None of them (including me) were even on Tamoxifen. In fact, I'm the only one who had breast cancer at all, and I had it at the same time. If you don't have a uterus, you won't have to worry about getting endometrial cancer. Ditto for ovaries and ovarian cancer. My vast and extensive medical research (not) causes me to believe that because fewer and fewer "unnecessary" hysterectomies are being performed on younger women, we'll see an increase in gynecologic cancers, particularly endometrial simply because there are more women with parts intact. This is just my gut feeling.

    Because I had more than one episode of postmenopausal bleeding, my gyn agreed to perform a prophylactic hysterectomy. Unfortunately, my last biopsy showed cancer, so it was done for cancer instead. Fortunately, it was early stage, low grade. Two of my good friends who are the same age as me had fewer symptoms than me and their endometrial cancer was more advanced. It's a crap shoot and it sucks. If they're going after your ovaries, they might as well take the uterus, too. We were all postmenopausal. Our ovaries had stopped working long ago, but we still got endometrial cancer, and at least mine was estrogen driven even with nonfunctioning ovaries.

    It may be that with no ovaries and being on aromotase inhibitors, your uterus is protected. It's also useless, so why keep it?

    I honestly feel pretty strongly about this having experienced this with me and 2 friends in the past year. That hits far too close to home.

    Suzanne

    To Suzanne
    Thank you for your info. I was thinking about asking him about taking it all while they are doing this much. I will see what he says. God Bless
    (((hugs))) Janice
  • Heatherbelle
    Heatherbelle Member Posts: 1,226 Member
    #8
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    Boppy_of_6 said:

    To Suzanne
    Thank you for your info. I was thinking about asking him about taking it all while they are doing this much. I will see what he says. God Bless
    (((hugs))) Janice

    me too
    Janice I will be having the same done later this summer. I had a follow up with my onc yesterday. She's recommending having my ovaries removed & since I have a history of uterine cancer (my mom's mom) in my family & a personal history of abnormal paps, she also recommended that I discuss with my gynecologist about having it all removed. My choice is to have it all taken out. I'm only 35, but im done having babies & had my tubes tied after I had Doodie anyways.
    *hugs*
    Heather
  • dbhadra
    dbhadra Member Posts: 344 Member
    #9
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    Heatherbelle said:

    me too
    Janice I will be having the same done later this summer. I had a follow up with my onc yesterday. She's recommending having my ovaries removed & since I have a history of uterine cancer (my mom's mom) in my family & a personal history of abnormal paps, she also recommended that I discuss with my gynecologist about having it all removed. My choice is to have it all taken out. I'm only 35, but im done having babies & had my tubes tied after I had Doodie anyways.
    *hugs*
    Heather

    Also want to get this done
    And will discuss with my onc when I see him next. My sister in law who has been on tamoxifen for almost 5 years is going for uterus and ovaries removed end of this month due to bleeding, thickening, etc. She is also waiting for the results of a biopsy to see if she had uterine cancer but either way everything is coming out.

    After hearing that it has made me think about getting my ovaries and uterus removed as then I can go straight to an AI and skip the tamoxifen .

    Laura
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #10
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    dbhadra said:

    Also want to get this done
    And will discuss with my onc when I see him next. My sister in law who has been on tamoxifen for almost 5 years is going for uterus and ovaries removed end of this month due to bleeding, thickening, etc. She is also waiting for the results of a biopsy to see if she had uterine cancer but either way everything is coming out.

    After hearing that it has made me think about getting my ovaries and uterus removed as then I can go straight to an AI and skip the tamoxifen .

    Laura

    talk to your gynecologist
    Please talk to your gynecologist before making final decision. My gynecologist told me that I could have more severe menopausal symptoms than I have had on Tamoxifen. Most premenopausal women , including myself have had more side effects while taking aromatase inhibitors than Tamoxifen. After 15 months on Tamoxifen I was put on Arimidex, which I could not tolerate, and was put back on Tamoxife. Alternative to the surgery are Chemo drugs called "ovary suppression medications" such as Lupron and Zoladex which have better efficacy that surgical ovary removal.
    Good luck with your decision
  • Boppy_of_6
    Boppy_of_6 Member Posts: 1,138
    #11
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    New Flower said:

    talk to your gynecologist
    Please talk to your gynecologist before making final decision. My gynecologist told me that I could have more severe menopausal symptoms than I have had on Tamoxifen. Most premenopausal women , including myself have had more side effects while taking aromatase inhibitors than Tamoxifen. After 15 months on Tamoxifen I was put on Arimidex, which I could not tolerate, and was put back on Tamoxife. Alternative to the surgery are Chemo drugs called "ovary suppression medications" such as Lupron and Zoladex which have better efficacy that surgical ovary removal.
    Good luck with your decision

    Thank you all
    Thank you all for your help. I see GYN on June 28th and will definitely have a list of questions for him that day. I will keep you all posted. God Bless
    (((hugs))) Janice
  • Megan M
    Megan M Member Posts: 3,000
    #12
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    mamolady said:

    oophorectomy
    When I was diagnosed in October and found out that my tumors are estrogen and progesterone positive I asked my doctor if that would help. I am having the surgery a week after I finish Radiation. The recovery should only be a couple to a few days. That way I can still get back to work August first.
    I also heard at the Cancer Survivor day at Kaiser, that switching to an AI after tamoxifen can offer better long term results. Please check with your doc on that one.

    For me, it will mean not having to take tamoxifen! I can go straight to an AI.

    Good luck,
    Cindy

    Congrats Janice on your good
    Congrats Janice on your good report!

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