Tamoxifin

Atypical hyperplasia could be looked at as a risk factor for developing cancer. They don't know if it means that atypical hyperplasia leads to cancer or that the conditions that allow atypical hyperplasia to be present also would let cancer be present.

Close follow-up is the usual recommended course of action, this is in order to find an intraductal cancer or invasive cancer at an early stage. This would include physical examination by a doctor every six months, and yearly mammograms. It might also be a good place to use ductal lavage. The duct with the atypical cells monitored every six months to find out if the hyperplasia progressed, lessened or stayed stable. Tamoxifen is usually used for someone diagnosed with actual Breast Cancer that is ER/PR positive, meaning that the receptors of the tumor are triggered by Estrogen and Progesteron. Tamoxifen blocks thoes receptors. Not sure why the Tamoxifen. I don't think that Atypical hyperplasia is considered to be Cancer and am not sure if they can test the cells to see if they are ER/PR positive. I would have her ask her Doc if they tested the cells to see if they were ER/PR positive. How hold is she, Tamoxifen can put you into menopause, so if she is planning on having children I would have her talk to her doc about that.

Script - I don't mean to scare you uneccesarily, but I think you should know my story. I was diagnosed with atypical ductal hyperplasia two years ago and put on Tamoxifen as a cancer preventative. One year ago, I was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, 23 nodes involved, mets to liver and spine ---and it is thought that the tamoxifen triggered the aggressive cancer (I was having check-ups every six months) Some women --few, but some--should not take Tamoxifen for this reason. Please have your doctor informed of this,a nd if you hve any questions, email me (the cancer was estrogen positive, also) Judith

I had a biopsy (which ended up to be a lumpectomy since they seem to have gotten it all). I then had lymph node surgery, and all looked "fairly" well... (sorry about not using any explanatory terms like "phase xx" or "ductal xx" - I went through this while on military deployment orders, and I don't remember a darn thing!!! Anyway, I received 8 weeks of radiation - no chemo, but met regularly with the chemo doctor.
I just returned from my 3 month follow-up in the US. My chemo doc HIGHLY recommended my taking tamoxifin. My radiation doc sounded kind of wishy-washy, so I finally said, "Off the record, doc, if it were YOU, what would you do?" His response??? "HELL NO!! Not for the course of treatment you chose." (I went VERY conservative in treatment so I could get back to work; and also because I felt if conservative didn't work, I'd still have other options.)
I researched tamoxifin on-line, the docs gave me stats from the Mayo-clinic, etc.
The "risks" involved were just too great for me to take a chance on any other kind of cancer resulting from tamoxifin. I deal with breast cancer everyday since dx --- but, aside from the mental strength I gained from it, it's just "there." I did NOT WANT to spend the next five years of my life putting a pill in my mouth and wondering - with even LESS KNOWLEDGE - what "hidden" risk I was taking.
I opted out, and chose to believe that docs, research, technology, etc would maybe have a "cure" within those 5 years.
So, now I battle enemies and terrorists - I don't "battle" breast cancer (that's the doctor's job!), and I live with what I HAVE - not what I maybe? possibly? statistically? could be doing to myself with that little pill.
This morning, Sunday; my favorite day of the week (when at home) to just lounge in my bathrobe, drink coffee, and read the Sunday comics; me and my breast cancer decided to go run the stairs on the compound - 40 steps up, 40 steps down.........5 times. (talk about HOT FLASHES!)
The point - and the motivation - for me was that it was just me and MY breast cancer on those steps. "Are you and me 'ready' weak arm? Are you and me ready sore chest? "Are you and me ready 'fatigue' -- just one time up, ok? ooh, you want to go down? ok, this is "our" day."
And five laps later, me and MY breast cancer came home and chose to deny the "potential side effects/cancers" of tamoxifin.
I'm not saying don't take it........I'm just offering another point of view.
Thanks to all of you for listening to my tale.