does ovarian cancer only follow breast cancer after taking tamoxifen?

janie560
janie560 Member Posts: 42
in Breast Cancer #1
Have survivers had ovarian problems if they take aromatase inhibitors or just tamoxifen or is it just previlent no matter how they treat your breast cancer. I was told by my oncoligist that my ovaries do not need to be checked unless i go on tamoxifen?

Comments

  • laughs_a_lot
    laughs_a_lot Member Posts: 1,368 Member
    #2
    No not necessarily
    If you have triple negative breast cancer and possess the BCRA1 or BCRA2 gene ovarian cancer can follow. Though the NCCN recommends that all insurance companies pay for the genetic test for this genetic mutation, many will not pay for it unless a first degree relative as triple negative bc. The test costs $4000 to those who want the test despite the insurance company's answer on payment. However a second case of cancer costs a heck of a lot of money in my estimation.
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #3
    laughs_a_lot said:

    No not necessarily
    If you have triple negative breast cancer and possess the BCRA1 or BCRA2 gene ovarian cancer can follow. Though the NCCN recommends that all insurance companies pay for the genetic test for this genetic mutation, many will not pay for it unless a first degree relative as triple negative bc. The test costs $4000 to those who want the test despite the insurance company's answer on payment. However a second case of cancer costs a heck of a lot of money in my estimation.

    you need to your uterus
    you need to your uterus checked if you are on tamoxifen as the lining can thicken and you have more of a chance for endometrial cancer.
  • janie560
    janie560 Member Posts: 42
    #4
    laughs_a_lot said:

    No not necessarily
    If you have triple negative breast cancer and possess the BCRA1 or BCRA2 gene ovarian cancer can follow. Though the NCCN recommends that all insurance companies pay for the genetic test for this genetic mutation, many will not pay for it unless a first degree relative as triple negative bc. The test costs $4000 to those who want the test despite the insurance company's answer on payment. However a second case of cancer costs a heck of a lot of money in my estimation.

    I have no family history and
    I have no family history and i had stage 1a Idc nodes clear. My oncologisf will not give me the test. I do not have a uterus only avaries.
    Thank you for your help. So does this mean i am not at risk? How do they check your ovaries. I was told there is no way to check except by feal and mine have shunk so they say that is a good sign?
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #5
    I had been on tamoxifen for
    I had been on tamoxifen for just over 3 1/2 yrs prior to total hysterectomy! MY OB was going to leave ovearies and I TOLD HIM TO take everything ...since HE was not getting me back in. (I Had thickening of uterus and bleeding after 3-4 post meno.

    Denise
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #6
    disneyfan2008 said:

    I had been on tamoxifen for
    I had been on tamoxifen for just over 3 1/2 yrs prior to total hysterectomy! MY OB was going to leave ovearies and I TOLD HIM TO take everything ...since HE was not getting me back in. (I Had thickening of uterus and bleeding after 3-4 post meno.

    Denise

    you can have an ultrasound
    you can have an ultrasound to check the ovaries, either abdominal or trans vaginal. If they are looking for cancer they can also check a Ca125 blood test.
  • mamolady
    mamolady Member Posts: 796 Member
    #7
    Uteran cancer is a risk with
    Uteran cancer is a risk with tamoxifen.
    Breast cancer and ovarian cancer are related in that if you have family history of one it means you may be at risk for the other too. If you have one of the BRCA genes you are also at a higher risk for ovarian too.
    There really is no really good screening tool for ovarian cancer though. The tumor marker test isn't always reliable according to my oncologist.

    Cindy
  • Marla226
    Marla226 Member Posts: 2
    #8
    janie560 said:

    I have no family history and
    I have no family history and i had stage 1a Idc nodes clear. My oncologisf will not give me the test. I do not have a uterus only avaries.
    Thank you for your help. So does this mean i am not at risk? How do they check your ovaries. I was told there is no way to check except by feal and mine have shunk so they say that is a good sign?

    Hope this helps some......
    Hi Janie...I was just taken off chemo and put on arimedex. I thought I was going to go on tamoxifen, but my Dr. said no. Tamoxifen was for pre or menopausal women and that arimedex worked differently and was for post menopausal women. I had a hyst about 30 or 35 yrs ago now and my ovaries have disintegrated over time. But other places in the body produce estrogen as well...like the adrenal glands that sit on top of the kidneys. This was news to me as I thought the ovaries were the only thing that produced estrogen. Not sure if this helps at all....but that was my info. M
  • mamolady
    mamolady Member Posts: 796 Member
    #9
    AI's and ovaries
    Janie,
    The most important part is that if you have your ovaries and are not in menopause, you can not take the AI's. They work on estrogen that is not produced by the ovaries. Tamoxifen bind with the estrogen from anywhere to make it ineffective. That is why it is the choice for women pre-menopause.

    Personally, I had my ovaries out to be able to skip tamoxifen and go straight to arimidex.

    Cindy
  • LoveBabyJesus
    LoveBabyJesus Member Posts: 1,679 Member
    #10
    tamoxifen
    I'm now on tamoxifen, 3 months and only experiencing discharge which Dr. said it's normal. Not everyone experience the same things as everyone is different. Plus only a very small % is suspected to cause endometrium (sp?) cancer. I was told they would do sono when I start showing symptoms (spotting, bleeding, abdominal pains), but because I am always paranoid, I will have my regular GYN check every 6 months.

    I think protocol has changed after years. I heard from a friend of mine, her mom would have yearly biopsies regardless, and sonos all the time. I think things have changed a little. They do these less often and watch for symptoms. Some Drs. think it's unnecessary to keep checking so much, or at least this is what I've been told at Sloan Kettering. And they have a lot of research information.

    I think your ovaries are important to be checked regardless of what pill you end up taking. I think because we're already been dx with bc - and because oc is sooo hard to detect in time - it is important to keep an eye on the ovaries as well (or remove them if necessary). This is just my personal opinion. You follow your instincts.

    Good luck with whatever you decide. And remember we're always here for you.
  • DianeBC
    DianeBC Member Posts: 3,881 Member
    #11
    carkris said:

    you need to your uterus
    you need to your uterus checked if you are on tamoxifen as the lining can thicken and you have more of a chance for endometrial cancer.

    If you are on tamoxifen, you
    If you are on tamoxifen, you do need to see your gyno regularly as tamox can cause problems.


    Hugs, Diane

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