Good report but I have a question about oophorectomy
(((hugs))) Janice
Comments
-
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,
Cindy0 -
@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....
Denise0 -
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
Deborah0 -
Thank you allFoxlairfrm 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
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))) Janice0 -
Ask about taking it all outFoxlairfrm 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
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.
Suzanne0 -
To SuzanneDouble 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
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))) Janice0 -
me tooBoppy_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
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*
Heather0 -
Also want to get this doneHeatherbelle 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
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 .
Laura0 -
talk to your gynecologistdbhadra 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
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 decision0 -
Thank you allNew 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 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))) Janice0 -
Congrats Janice on your goodmamolady 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 report!0
Discussion Boards
- All Discussion Boards
- 6 CSN Information
- 6 Welcome to CSN
- 121.6K Cancer specific
- 2.8K Anal Cancer
- 445 Bladder Cancer
- 307 Bone Cancers
- 1.6K Brain Cancer
- 28.5K Breast Cancer
- 395 Childhood Cancers
- 27.9K Colorectal Cancer
- 4.6K Esophageal Cancer
- 1.2K Gynecological Cancers (other than ovarian and uterine)
- 13K Head and Neck Cancer
- 6.3K Kidney Cancer
- 669 Leukemia
- 791 Liver Cancer
- 4.1K Lung Cancer
- 5.1K Lymphoma (Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin)
- 235 Multiple Myeloma
- 7.1K Ovarian Cancer
- 56 Pancreatic Cancer
- 486 Peritoneal Cancer
- 5.4K Prostate Cancer
- 1.2K Rare and Other Cancers
- 536 Sarcoma
- 725 Skin Cancer
- 649 Stomach Cancer
- 191 Testicular Cancer
- 1.5K Thyroid Cancer
- 5.8K Uterine/Endometrial Cancer
- 6.3K Lifestyle Discussion Boards