Ovary Removal to force Menopause

Sandy, Are you in treatment
Sandy, Are you in treatment now? Many factors would determine whether it wpuld be wise to remove the ovaries. When I questioned my oncologist, he said no, yet my husband's niece had her ovaries removed. Have you spoken to your gynecologist to see what his or her opinion is? Hugs, Lili

sldp said:

ovary removal
Lumpectomy in Dec.'08. No chemo recommended (thank goodness). Started tamoxifen a little over a month ago. Just completed day 10 of 28 rads. My oncologist's goal is to get me menopausal so I can take Femara/Arimidex because she states that it provides the best protection. (I'm 46). I figured that I'd go into natural menopause pretty soon...I've heard that surgical menopause is instant and wicked.

Thanks for the reply,
Sandy

Oopherectomy
I was in my mid 40's too when I discovered I had stage 1 breast cancer. It wasn't a particularly aggressive sort, though there was a good chance (and still is) of it showing up on the other side. I was put on tamoxifen to prevent reoccurance. When the tamoxifen started messing with my ovaries and causing stubborn ovarian cysts (okay, it could have been the start of menapause but most of the women in my family were capable of having babies into their mid fifties), the ob/gyn oncologist recommended an oopherectomy (ovaries out). I put it off for about two years because osteoporosis runs in my family and I didn't believe it was ovarian cancer. The ovaries make estrogen which was fuel for the breast cancer but also a bone builder. Surgical menapause is not good for bones. But eventually I caved and had the surgery. I definately discovered what a hot flash was immediately after surgery. I know it meant I can go on the aromasin and that probably is good for preventing breast cancer. I take fosamax to prevent hip fractures later on down the line. I also take vitamin D to stop the joint pain that comes with the aromatase inhibitors. The surgery wasn't so bad and I had the works when I had the oopherectomy (uterus and falopian tubes out too--I did choose to make it a supra-cervical hysterectomy which meant I kept the cervix). I figured I wouldn't be having any babies and why risk uterine cancer since I had been on the tamoxifen for 2 1/2 years. But I'm okay with hot flashes (they keep my feet from getting cold in the winter time when I have to run to the bathroom at night!) and fortunately I didn't have a lot of negative side effects from surgery. I had bone density scans done yearly and finally the doctor agreed to the fosamx when I became osteopenic last summer in one spot. That was in spite of calcium pills and exercise and lots of milk, so take the bones into consideration when you make your decision. Umm, I also had to invest in some lubricant for certain activities. I understand that natural menapause can cause those kind of problems too, but these are doable problems. Your recovery would be faster than mine (a month for a total hysterectomy) if you just have the laproscopic oopherectomy.

There is another option to surgery if you prefer to avoid it. Some women have gone on what I believe is called Lupron (sp?) to stop their ovaries from functioning. Then they took the aromatase inhibitors on top of that. I believe the Lupron was a shot taken monthly. It induces a temporary menapause. However, at 46 you probably could handle menapause without that much risk to your bones depending on your family history and physical build. I know it is a tough decision that you can't change once done, but in my case it wasn't all that bad, certainly not nearly the horror stories I read about on the internet. Just because one person had a problem (or didn't have a problem) doesn't predict what will happen for you. You can just make the best decision you can given what kind of cancer you have and how you typically weather surgery. Good luck! I'm sure you will make the right decision for you.

C. Abbott