Hormone Therapy good idea?

Reddie

Hello everyone!

Seems like almost everyone has to go follow-up with the doctor every 3 months. Last January, my CA-125 shows 15 which is a good news but I'm not going to jump up and down that I'm in NED cuz it hasn't been one year since my surgery. I rather wait for 5 years then I'll know that I'm in NED. Guess what...two weeks ago I went to see my doctor for second follow up and it came out bad news that my Ca-125 spiked to 75. I was worried what it was after the ct scan results. He told me that I had two tumors enlarged from the lymph nodes. He suggested for me to take hormones therapy called MEGESTROL. This will treated my tumors not to grow any bigger. HE said that I'm not in a danger situation right now. What's your opinion about hormones therapy?

hugs, Reddie

lindaprocopio

Megace is a lot less harsh on your body than chemo.
My chemo oncologist has been talking Megestrol (Megace) for me foe awhile, but my gyne-oncologist wants to 'save' hormone therapy for a time when I am not strong enough, bone-marrow wise, to get chemo. Megace is taken as a pill and doesn't have the harsh side affects of chemo. The worst side affect is weight gain because it is an appetite enhancer.

Do you know if your cancer cells are estrogen (ER+) or progesterone receptive (PR+) ? If they haven't checked this yet, the pathologist can take a new slice from the stored tissue from your hysterectomy and see if your cancer is ER+ or PR+. If your cancer is hormone receptive, then Megace may work for you, and there's something like an 8% chance that it will work for you even if you are ER and PR negative. I posted a very recent study here that says:

"Response rates as high as 37% have been reported in patients with PRpositive disease (measured by immunohistochemistry) compared with a response rate of 8% in women with PR-negative disease."

"Patients in the second trial were treated with continuous tamoxifen plus alternating weekly cycles of medroxyprogesterone acetate.[21] The response rate was 33%,with a median progression-free interval of 3 months. Although these response rates are higher than those reported for progestins alone, the progression-free intervals and overall survival rates are similar. A correlative study to this second trial explored the relationship between hormone receptor status and response to the combination of tamoxifen and megestrol. Interestingly, response rates were high even in patients with estrogen- and progesterone-negative tumors (a response rate of 26% for estrogen-negative tumors and 32% for progesterone-negative tumors).[22] The toxicities, which principally were weight gain and thromboembolic events, were tolerable with both regimens of tamoxifen plus progestin."

This is hard to understand, but I think it might be worth TRYING it 3 months and seeing if it helps hold your cancer in check. I think that's what I'd do in your situation,

(((((Reddie)))))).

Reddie

lindaprocopio said:

Megace is a lot less harsh on your body than chemo.
My chemo oncologist has been talking Megestrol (Megace) for me foe awhile, but my gyne-oncologist wants to 'save' hormone therapy for a time when I am not strong enough, bone-marrow wise, to get chemo. Megace is taken as a pill and doesn't have the harsh side affects of chemo. The worst side affect is weight gain because it is an appetite enhancer.

Do you know if your cancer cells are estrogen (ER+) or progesterone receptive (PR+) ? If they haven't checked this yet, the pathologist can take a new slice from the stored tissue from your hysterectomy and see if your cancer is ER+ or PR+. If your cancer is hormone receptive, then Megace may work for you, and there's something like an 8% chance that it will work for you even if you are ER and PR negative. I posted a very recent study here that says:

"Response rates as high as 37% have been reported in patients with PRpositive disease (measured by immunohistochemistry) compared with a response rate of 8% in women with PR-negative disease."

"Patients in the second trial were treated with continuous tamoxifen plus alternating weekly cycles of medroxyprogesterone acetate.[21] The response rate was 33%,with a median progression-free interval of 3 months. Although these response rates are higher than those reported for progestins alone, the progression-free intervals and overall survival rates are similar. A correlative study to this second trial explored the relationship between hormone receptor status and response to the combination of tamoxifen and megestrol. Interestingly, response rates were high even in patients with estrogen- and progesterone-negative tumors (a response rate of 26% for estrogen-negative tumors and 32% for progesterone-negative tumors).[22] The toxicities, which principally were weight gain and thromboembolic events, were tolerable with both regimens of tamoxifen plus progestin."

This is hard to understand, but I think it might be worth TRYING it 3 months and seeing if it helps hold your cancer in check. I think that's what I'd do in your situation,

(((((Reddie)))))).

Your answer to my question is good!
Hi Linda,

I think you are a great researcher for American Cancer Society Network. I wish they can pay you for what you've spend your time on finding answers to all of us!!

Actually I think I'm Estrogen receptive. Before surgery my Estrogen was way too high which caused to develop cancer by develop the lining in the Uterus. This lead to make period go irregular and not having enough progesterone to keep it stable. Am I making sense? I'm sure you have better answers than mine. wink!

Thanks for the input...I will ask the doctor which one am I... ER+ or PR+.

So far I feel the same as long as I'm taking a pill. He feels that taking a pill is much safer for me to take than chemo which I have complication from it.

take care and hugs, REDDIE

kkstef

Reddie said:

Your answer to my question is good!
Hi Linda,

I think you are a great researcher for American Cancer Society Network. I wish they can pay you for what you've spend your time on finding answers to all of us!!

Actually I think I'm Estrogen receptive. Before surgery my Estrogen was way too high which caused to develop cancer by develop the lining in the Uterus. This lead to make period go irregular and not having enough progesterone to keep it stable. Am I making sense? I'm sure you have better answers than mine. wink!

Thanks for the input...I will ask the doctor which one am I... ER+ or PR+.

So far I feel the same as long as I'm taking a pill. He feels that taking a pill is much safer for me to take than chemo which I have complication from it.

take care and hugs, REDDIE

Thinking about you Reddie!
Reddie, I am sorry to hear about this curve in the road! It sounds like the hormone pills will be easier on your body than chemo. Will pray that does the trick!! Please keep us posted! Will you have the summer off from teaching?

Best to you! Karen

Reddie

kkstef said:

Thinking about you Reddie!
Reddie, I am sorry to hear about this curve in the road! It sounds like the hormone pills will be easier on your body than chemo. Will pray that does the trick!! Please keep us posted! Will you have the summer off from teaching?

Best to you! Karen

Hi Karen
Thanks for your prayer! I will be teaching this summer for 3 weeks from July 14 until 28th then I will be driving to Michigan to park my car at his parent's house. After that I will be flying to California to stay with my parents while I get things ready for the wedding in August. Will keep you guys post of what's happening.

Hugs, Reddie