Tamoxifin with double mastectomy?

wirak
wirak Member Posts: 26
in Breast Cancer #1
I had a left side mastectomy in January and just finished 16 rounds of chemo. I had two tumors that were estrogen positive, so my onc wants me to take Tamoxifin for 5 years. I will be having the right side removed in October. I'm wondering about the need for the Tamoxifin with both sides removed. What I have read about the drug really scares me. Does anyone have experience with this? I was node negative and am 44. I have also read where some have considered having their ovaries removed in lieu of the Tamoxifin.

Comments

  • RozHopkins
    RozHopkins Member Posts: 578 Member
    #2
    Tam
    Have double mastectomy (otherwise known as bilateral). Asked the same question as you about the need of Tamoxifen. I understand that because I am estrogen positive and ovaries still active it is required to stop estrogen causing further cancer, a blocker. Yes, indeed ovary removal would stop this possibility but anotther anti cancer drug would have to be taken for some years with its own side effects after overy removal. It's your choice which to way to go, all the anti cancer drugs appear to give us side effects.
  • RozHopkins
    RozHopkins Member Posts: 578 Member
    #3
    Tam
    ps. Tam is not fun, my age is 56 not through menopause yet. Also like yourself no node probs. I would like to have overly removal and will be bringing that up at my next oncol appointment
  • peanutcat
    peanutcat Member Posts: 104
    #4
    Tamoxafen
    I had a double masectomy and I'm on Tamoxafen and I do great on it. I've been on it 6 mos. I'm not getting any side effects at all. Talk to your Dr. about it or a change to another drug. Good luck. The benifits out weigh the side efects believe me.
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #5
    peanutcat said:

    Tamoxafen
    I had a double masectomy and I'm on Tamoxafen and I do great on it. I've been on it 6 mos. I'm not getting any side effects at all. Talk to your Dr. about it or a change to another drug. Good luck. The benifits out weigh the side efects believe me.

    Estrogen.
    The ovaries aren't the thing that produces estrogen in our bodies..the adrenal glands produces estrogen also...my type of bc is not estrogen driven so I am not a candidate for Tamoxifen...wish I were....and bc doesn't just come back In the breast...mine came back in my lymph nodes, which were clean at the time of surgery...

    If it were me, I would have welcomed something like Tamoxifen, to take to reduce the chances of of a recurrence..
    But you have to do what is best for you, with the advice of your physician...

    Best wishes, Nancy
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #6
    peanutcat said:

    Tamoxafen
    I had a double masectomy and I'm on Tamoxafen and I do great on it. I've been on it 6 mos. I'm not getting any side effects at all. Talk to your Dr. about it or a change to another drug. Good luck. The benifits out weigh the side efects believe me.

    Estrogen.
    The ovaries aren't the thing that produces estrogen in our bodies..the adrenal glands produces estrogen also...my type of bc is not estrogen driven so I am not a candidate for Tamoxifen...wish I were....and bc doesn't just come back In the breast...mine came back in my lymph nodes, which were clean at the time of surgery...

    If it were me, I would have welcomed something like Tamoxifen, to take to reduce the chances of of a recurrence..
    But you have to do what is best for you, with the advice of your physician...

    Best wishes, Nancy
  • Frankie Shannon
    Frankie Shannon Member Posts: 457
    #7
    I had a bil mastectomy in
    I had a bil mastectomy in July of 2010 no reconstruction also estrogen positive and am on Tamoxifen there is still some breast tissue left so the Tamoxifen blocks any estrogen in your body as it's not just your ovaries that produce it.One of the side affects of the drug is cancer of the uterus if you have not had a hysterectomy which i have not had but so far so good and i've been on it 2 years now.It just improves your chances of it not coming back.This will be a up to you and your onc what to do.Keep us posted.
    Hugs Frankie
  • sdukowitz
    sdukowitz Member Posts: 250
    #8
    I had a complete
    I had a complete hysterectomy about ten years ago cancer last year.. dcis lumpectomy ... oncologist still strongly recimmended 5 years of tamoxifin as lots of estrogen still from adrenal glands is in our bodies .... been on it for 7 months so far some side effects but you have to consider benefits vs risks and side effects are different for each person ... good luck with your decision Sue D
  • LoveBabyJesus
    LoveBabyJesus Member Posts: 1,679 Member
    #9
    Tamoxifen scared me like
    Tamoxifen scared me like crazy! I remember looking at the bottle of pills for a long time before taking the first one. But cancer scares me more. So the fear of getting it back made me take tamoxifen. I'm 34 and was dx at 32 early last year. Had chemo, rads, lumpectomy and now on tamoxifen since last Aug. (2011). I do vaginal ultrasounds every 4 months (ouch!). I get cysts, but I always had them. My OBGNY keeps an eye on them for me.

    I think, like chemo, everyone is different. So far I'm doing well with tamoxifen, but the first 3 months weren't easy! I had severe depression, hot flashes got worse (chemo put me on temp. menopause), and was very moody. But my body eventually got used to the med so now I am much better. I pray everyday that I don't develop anything serious from it - and I have faith I won't. But if I do, I will deal with it with no regrets knowing that I did what I had to do to help lower my chances of getting another cancer.

    I think you will do great, if you decide to take it. Remember, you may not experience any side effects at all! I say try it, and see how your body reacts to it. But allow yourself some time to get used to it - it gets better.

    Good luck to you!

    XOXO
  • Megan M
    Megan M Member Posts: 3,000
    #10
    MAJW said:

    Estrogen.
    The ovaries aren't the thing that produces estrogen in our bodies..the adrenal glands produces estrogen also...my type of bc is not estrogen driven so I am not a candidate for Tamoxifen...wish I were....and bc doesn't just come back In the breast...mine came back in my lymph nodes, which were clean at the time of surgery...

    If it were me, I would have welcomed something like Tamoxifen, to take to reduce the chances of of a recurrence..
    But you have to do what is best for you, with the advice of your physician...

    Best wishes, Nancy

    I just want to wish you good
    I just want to wish you good luck in whatever you should decide to do, take tamox or not.


    Hugs, Megan
  • Faith1122
    Faith1122 Member Posts: 46
    #11
    I know how you feel :0)
    I was diagnosed as minimal stage 1 estrogen positive . I had my bilateral mastectomy in Feb & I am 3 weeks post op from my exchange surgery. I have been staring at the tamoxifen script on my fridge the whole time. I told myself after all of the surgeries I will fill it. I explained to my oncologist all of these fears I have about the side affects & he said that I need it as a preventative measure. He said if I decided not to take it he wouldn't argue with me but if I were his wife or daughter he would want me on it. I feel like I have to for my 2 young children & husband. So far I have been on it for a week. Good luck & let us know what you decide!
  • Noel
    Noel Member Posts: 3,095 Member
    #12
    sdukowitz said:

    I had a complete
    I had a complete hysterectomy about ten years ago cancer last year.. dcis lumpectomy ... oncologist still strongly recimmended 5 years of tamoxifin as lots of estrogen still from adrenal glands is in our bodies .... been on it for 7 months so far some side effects but you have to consider benefits vs risks and side effects are different for each person ... good luck with your decision Sue D

    The whole bc journey is
    The whole bc journey is scary unfortunately. I can't tell you what to do, but, I trust that you will make the right decision. Not everyone takes tamox or any hormone therapy and that is fine.


    Good luck and keep us updated.

    Hugs, Noel
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #13
    LoveBabyJesus said:

    Tamoxifen scared me like
    Tamoxifen scared me like crazy! I remember looking at the bottle of pills for a long time before taking the first one. But cancer scares me more. So the fear of getting it back made me take tamoxifen. I'm 34 and was dx at 32 early last year. Had chemo, rads, lumpectomy and now on tamoxifen since last Aug. (2011). I do vaginal ultrasounds every 4 months (ouch!). I get cysts, but I always had them. My OBGNY keeps an eye on them for me.

    I think, like chemo, everyone is different. So far I'm doing well with tamoxifen, but the first 3 months weren't easy! I had severe depression, hot flashes got worse (chemo put me on temp. menopause), and was very moody. But my body eventually got used to the med so now I am much better. I pray everyday that I don't develop anything serious from it - and I have faith I won't. But if I do, I will deal with it with no regrets knowing that I did what I had to do to help lower my chances of getting another cancer.

    I think you will do great, if you decide to take it. Remember, you may not experience any side effects at all! I say try it, and see how your body reacts to it. But allow yourself some time to get used to it - it gets better.

    Good luck to you!

    XOXO

    Did you start on tamox? How
    Did you start on tamox? How are you doing now if you are? Any side effects? I hope not.


    Hugs, Jan

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