Ten Years of Tamoxifen Better?

CypressCynthia

This news was popping up on my home page today. I often wonder if part of why I am still here is my oncologist's decision to keep me on tamoxifen a little longer (7 years)--especially since I was Stage 3. Back then, there were no real guidelines about what to do (1987). Interesting...stay tuned!

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(12)61963-1/abstract


"For women with ER-positive disease, continuing tamoxifen to 10 years rather than stopping at 5 years produces a further reduction in recurrence and mortality, particularly after year 10. These results, taken together with results from previous trials of 5 years of tamoxifen treatment versus none, suggest that 10 years of tamoxifen treatment can approximately halve breast cancer mortality during the second decade after diagnosis."

TraciInLA

Oh, I have such mixed feelings about this...
I've just reached the 3-year mark on Tamoxifen, so have felt like I'm on the downhill slide toward 5 years.

I've started looking forward to finding out what my body will feel like without Tamoxifen -- finally able to lose some weight? No more hot flashes?

But I also know that I'll be really anxious when I'm no longer DOING anything proactive to help keep the bad cancer juju away.

My oncologist and my gynecologist and I will be having some long conversations about this in a couple of years, I'm sure....

Traci

CypressCynthia

TraciInLA said:

Oh, I have such mixed feelings about this...
I've just reached the 3-year mark on Tamoxifen, so have felt like I'm on the downhill slide toward 5 years.

I've started looking forward to finding out what my body will feel like without Tamoxifen -- finally able to lose some weight? No more hot flashes?

But I also know that I'll be really anxious when I'm no longer DOING anything proactive to help keep the bad cancer juju away.

My oncologist and my gynecologist and I will be having some long conversations about this in a couple of years, I'm sure....

Traci

Traci, parts of your post
Traci, parts of your post and mine are showing up as red, underlined words. Is that just happening to me? It is a conspiracy to drive me nuts...lol, not hard to do, I'm sure ;-).

cinnamonsmile

Why is Tamoxifen stopped
Why is Tamoxifen stopped after 5 years anyway? (And I don't see any underline words, CC. Print is fine on my laptop and I use Windows 7 with Google Chrome)

CypressCynthia

cinnamonsmile said:

Why is Tamoxifen stopped
Why is Tamoxifen stopped after 5 years anyway? (And I don't see any underline words, CC. Print is fine on my laptop and I use Windows 7 with Google Chrome)

I believe that it was
I believe that it was stopped because it was felt that 5 years was enough coverage and some adverse effects may increase with the longer duration of therapy. I know that while I was taking it, I think I had at least two vaginal ultrasounds and 3 enometrial biopsies, because my gyn was worried about the risk of endometrial cancer.

OK, your post has the words "my laptop" and "Windows" red and underlined. Lol, this is so crazy. I wonder if my cats have been playing with my keyboard again?

SIROD

cinnamonsmile said:

Why is Tamoxifen stopped
Why is Tamoxifen stopped after 5 years anyway? (And I don't see any underline words, CC. Print is fine on my laptop and I use Windows 7 with Google Chrome)

Years on Tamo
Rita Arditti who still remains for me, a woman who had metastasis to her lungs and lived with the disease for 30 years. She used Tamoxifen for 17 years stopping only when she progressed

At some point in time, it was believed that five years was long enough. Probably it was due to the side effects and the fact that for 70% their cancer will never reoccur. Whose will is the answer no one can give. So 5 years was decided.

A lot of these things go in cycles, 5 years, 7 years, 10 years, or until one progresses.

I will say this after being on hormonal drugs since 1995. One can say, isn't it great but there is a price your body pays. I have a lot of health issues that I would not have if I had not been on anti estrogen drugs all those years. On the other hand, it beats death! So I shall use them until they prove to be totally useless to me.

Doris

RozHopkins

My oncol suggested 10 years
My oncol suggested 10 years for me. Dread to think being on it that long but have a feeling, don't know why that it would be a good idea for me. My mum did get cancer three times and did take Tam but can't remember if she had recurrences whilst still taking it or afterwards.

MsGebby

My oncologist
had suggested 10 years before this report came out. Being on something for so long tends to make people nervous .... it's only natural. I happen to be one of those people that hates to take any kind of medicine. But thinking about folks with diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, COPD, lupus, renal disease .... the list goes on and on .... makes me know that, sometimes, it is a necessary "evil" to breath another day.

This is all just coming forward in my mind within the year that I was diagnosed with cancer. My doctor knew why I had so much trouble with any of the treatments. It's because I can't control it on my own. How true is that? If I break a bone, my body may need surgery and then it heals itself and I'm good as new. But having something that can kill me takes the whole control button away from me.

Enough rambling ... I will do what I have to from here on it. I really don't want to take anything but I know it's the best avenue I have right now. I only have 9 years, 11 months and 27 days to go! Doesn't seem so bad looking at it that way. LOL

Be cool...
Mary