Hysterectomy and Breast Cancer

Glowingdreams

Hi I am 39 and Estogen Recepter positive. I had a double masectomy this past Feb. Next week will be my sixth and last round of Chemo with Taxater Carbo and Herceptin. Then I will move on to just the Herceptin. I am considering having a complete hysterectomy to avoid Tomoxifen and a possible Cancer reacurance down the line. Has anyone done what I am thinking of doing.I am afaid of any effects of removing my ovaries at my age.

New Flower

Welcome to the board
Being concerned about severe menopausal side effects I have decided to keep my ovaries. The standard protocol is required to take another estrogen blocker pill from aromotase inhibitors group, even after surgical menopause. Take to your gynecologist. Mine said it could be very hard. It is very personal decision, unlike breast cancer we have a lot of time for making right choice.

Double Whammy

Surgical menopause
can be difficult in young women, I've heard. I've also seen a lot of women on this board get oophorectomies to avoid ovarian cancer and hysterectomies with oophorectomies to avoid the potential side effect of endometrial cancer from Tamoxifen. I would discuss this long and hard with your oncologists simply because of your age. They do prescribe drugs like Effexor to help with hot flashes but I don't know if it's helpful with all the other menopausal effects.

I had both breast surgery and a hysterectomy/BOS last year because I had both breast and endometrial cancers. For me, I had no problems with surgical menopause because I was 63 years old and well past natural menopause. I'm on Arimidex now and I do have an occasional mild hot flash, but again, I'm now 64.

On the other hand, I have this theory (based on absolutely no medical background or information) that we're going to start seeing a lot more endometrial cancers because gynecologists are now avoiding the hysterectomies they used to perform on younger women and so women are aging with a uterus intact to grow cancer in.

There are others on this board your age who will be able to offer you more information/advice.

Best wishes to you -
Suzanne

Heatherbelle

Hi,
Im 35, ER neg and PR
Hi,
Im 35, ER neg and PR weakly positive. I'll be having a complete hysterectomy this fall. I recently got my genetic testing results back & found that I carry the BRCA1 gene mutation & just want it all taken out if it's going to decrease my chances of another cancer. My mom also had breast cancer last year & her mom died at age 52 from ovarian cancer. Im not sure what, if any, drug i will be on after my surgery. For now i am not on anything.
*hugs*
heather