Good report but I have a question about oophorectomy

Boppy_of_6

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

mamolady

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

@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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!