Ovaries in or out?

Pinkpower
Pinkpower Member Posts: 437
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
So I saw my Onc on Wednesday, the day I had my Herceptin treatment, & he is now recommending I have my ovaries taken out due to my age (Im 42)and type of cancer being HER2, Estrogen & Progestrogen positive and have chemo menapause. I'm currently also on Tamoxifen, dr said he wants to change my treatment but I will have to have my ovaries removed. Yesterday I had an appt with my Gyno doc and she (who is a bc survivor) sd my Onc doc talk to her and she agrees with him. But its up to me. I dont know what to think of all this. Need help?
Lupe

Comments

  • Snowkitty
    Snowkitty Member Posts: 295
    #2
    I had a natural menopause 10
    I had a natural menopause 10 years ago at 52. A couple years after that a benign tumor was found on an overy. Had a total hyst. Never looked back. Just one less thing to worry about. Easy surgery, quick recovery & I will never get some of those bad cancers.

    Take care, Cindy
  • MNLynn
    MNLynn Member Posts: 224
    #3
    seeing ob/gyn in Sept
    I asked my onc about getting my ovaries out because of the close ties between ovarian & breast cancer - and I feel like I have risk factors that scare me (prob scare me more than it does my doctors). But my onc agreed and I will be meeting with the ob/gyn dr in Sept. I don't know yet what we'll decide, but I feel like it would also be one less thing to worry about. What scares me about ovarian cancer is that they don't really seem to have any effective screening in place for early detection. I'm post-menopausal, so I think I'd really like to just have them gone and lower my risk for ovarian cancer.

    What is the reason they are giving you for having your ovaries removed? To reduce the estrogen and prevent a recurrence of the bc, or to prevent ovarian cancer?

    Hope you can sort everything out and make the decision that's right for you.

    ♥ Lynn ♥
  • Bella Luna
    Bella Luna Member Posts: 1,578 Member
    #4
    Lupe... I wondered about
    Lupe... I wondered about that myself. I tested positive all the way( ER+, PR+, HER2+) and I am 45. I was stage one, grade three. My cocktail was Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin. I finish with Herceptin come August-Hooray for Me! I am also on Tamoxifen.

    My doctor did not mention having my ovaries taken out. I will have to ask the next time I see him. Keep us posted on what you decide. Take care, God bless.
    BL
  • Pinkpower
    Pinkpower Member Posts: 437
    #5
    Bella Luna said:

    Lupe... I wondered about
    Lupe... I wondered about that myself. I tested positive all the way( ER+, PR+, HER2+) and I am 45. I was stage one, grade three. My cocktail was Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin. I finish with Herceptin come August-Hooray for Me! I am also on Tamoxifen.

    My doctor did not mention having my ovaries taken out. I will have to ask the next time I see him. Keep us posted on what you decide. Take care, God bless.
    BL

    Lynn, I think the doctor is
    Lynn, I think the doctor is leaning towards the removal to reduce the estrogen and reocurrence of bc.

    BL- I had stage II, dont know what grade, that all I can remember beside the HER2, e&P positive and I had the same coctail as you, I'll be done with herceptin in October.
    Lupe
  • jo jo
    jo jo Member Posts: 1,175
    #6
    Lupe i think im in the same
    Lupe i think im in the same shoes as you. I have stage 2 and also 42 yrs old and ive been on tamoxifen for about 3 months now.
    My onc said that she was going to do a blood test to see were my Vit D is at...if its ok then i may not have to get out all the extra parts but if its low than shes recommending i have it done...i go back to see her in Aug so i will know more then. I did ask the question of what does Vit D have to do with it...she said if the vit D is low than the cancer can return and i dont want that. For me its a little scary cuz the chemo gave me osteoporosis and so im sure my chances of having low vitD are very possible due to the osteoporosis.
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #7
    jo jo said:

    Lupe i think im in the same
    Lupe i think im in the same shoes as you. I have stage 2 and also 42 yrs old and ive been on tamoxifen for about 3 months now.
    My onc said that she was going to do a blood test to see were my Vit D is at...if its ok then i may not have to get out all the extra parts but if its low than shes recommending i have it done...i go back to see her in Aug so i will know more then. I did ask the question of what does Vit D have to do with it...she said if the vit D is low than the cancer can return and i dont want that. For me its a little scary cuz the chemo gave me osteoporosis and so im sure my chances of having low vitD are very possible due to the osteoporosis.

    Hi Lupe
    I decided to keep my ovaries at this point. Instead of surgery I am having Zoladex shots + Arimidex. I was on Tamoxifen for 16 months. Ask your doc about Zoladex versus surgery.
    Good luck
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #8
    New Flower said:

    Hi Lupe
    I decided to keep my ovaries at this point. Instead of surgery I am having Zoladex shots + Arimidex. I was on Tamoxifen for 16 months. Ask your doc about Zoladex versus surgery.
    Good luck

    I too am Her2 positive ... er/pr negative perhaps that is why
    my doctors have not recommended to have my 1 and only ovary taken out .. Or am I a freak of nature and my doctors forgot to tell me, or did they tell me and I forgotten this very valuable piece of information somewhere down the road, and only now 7 months after my TCH chemo therapy am I just regaining some of my mojo and memory .. Yikes, I will be calling on Monday - hopefully not in hysterics asking these questions. I think someone at the Onc center spilled some hocus pocus juice on me ... as my memory banks know nothing about this!!!


    Vicki Sam
  • sea60
    sea60 Member Posts: 2,613
    #9
    Hi Lupe
    I was estrogen/HER2 positive. I started Chemo in 2006 and went through all the rads...surgeries...etc...From the 1st Chemo infusion I had, my periods came to an abrupt end. It threw me into a chemical menopause.

    Fast forward about 2 years. I started out with Tamoxifen, then was switched to Arimidex (which I couldn't tolerate) then back to Tamoxifen. In December 2008, I started having abdominal pain which lasted a few days, then lo and behold, have a period! And it was heavy...lasted about 9 days.

    In January 2009, Went to the GYN, who ran tests and told me my uterine wall had thickened (possibly due to Tamoxifen but not 100% sure) and that it was in a pre-cancer state. He said I had some time to think about it but that he'd seen situations like this where the patient will go on and develop cancer. He recommended a TOTAL hysterectomy. I had the proceedure in May 2009.

    I just didn't want to chance it. Heck, I also told them to throw out my appendix. I already had my gallbaldder removed or I would've told them to take that too!!

    It's totally up to you. But let me tell you, I wouldn't of had them removed had I not experienced heavy bleeding out of nowhere so for me, that was a good indication that something was up.

    I'm praying that you find what's best for you.

    Blessings,

    Sylvia
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #10
    sea60 said:

    Hi Lupe
    I was estrogen/HER2 positive. I started Chemo in 2006 and went through all the rads...surgeries...etc...From the 1st Chemo infusion I had, my periods came to an abrupt end. It threw me into a chemical menopause.

    Fast forward about 2 years. I started out with Tamoxifen, then was switched to Arimidex (which I couldn't tolerate) then back to Tamoxifen. In December 2008, I started having abdominal pain which lasted a few days, then lo and behold, have a period! And it was heavy...lasted about 9 days.

    In January 2009, Went to the GYN, who ran tests and told me my uterine wall had thickened (possibly due to Tamoxifen but not 100% sure) and that it was in a pre-cancer state. He said I had some time to think about it but that he'd seen situations like this where the patient will go on and develop cancer. He recommended a TOTAL hysterectomy. I had the proceedure in May 2009.

    I just didn't want to chance it. Heck, I also told them to throw out my appendix. I already had my gallbaldder removed or I would've told them to take that too!!

    It's totally up to you. But let me tell you, I wouldn't of had them removed had I not experienced heavy bleeding out of nowhere so for me, that was a good indication that something was up.

    I'm praying that you find what's best for you.

    Blessings,

    Sylvia

    Thank you, Sylvia ..
    Such valuable information pass along to us.


    Thank you for sharing:


    Vicki Sam
  • DianeBC
    DianeBC Member Posts: 3,881 Member
    #11
    New Flower said:

    Hi Lupe
    I decided to keep my ovaries at this point. Instead of surgery I am having Zoladex shots + Arimidex. I was on Tamoxifen for 16 months. Ask your doc about Zoladex versus surgery.
    Good luck

    I have pretty much decided
    I have pretty much decided to keep my ovaries. After all, your body will still produce estrogen in other ways, so, I didn't see a reason to remove them. Good luck.

    Hugs, Diane
  • MerleBee
    MerleBee Member Posts: 49
    #12
    I'm Struggling with this too...
    I had a bi-lateral in March and just finished chemo T&C. I too have been told to have my ovaries out becuase I will NOT take Tamoxifen as I beleive that this is what led to my sister's uterine sarcoma that ultimately took her life last August. Having my ovaries out (as I am not menopausal) is the only way I can avoid the Tamoxifen, but will have to take Arimidex. I am meeting with my GYN tomorrow to discuss this...I so want to be here for a long, long time but right now the thought of letting anyone take something else and oushing me into menopause is just overwhelming. I haven't even finished my reconstruction yet from the mastectomy. I am feeling really low and really confused and... now looking back on this pretty whiney right now!
  • Pinkpower
    Pinkpower Member Posts: 437
    #13
    MerleBee said:

    I'm Struggling with this too...
    I had a bi-lateral in March and just finished chemo T&C. I too have been told to have my ovaries out becuase I will NOT take Tamoxifen as I beleive that this is what led to my sister's uterine sarcoma that ultimately took her life last August. Having my ovaries out (as I am not menopausal) is the only way I can avoid the Tamoxifen, but will have to take Arimidex. I am meeting with my GYN tomorrow to discuss this...I so want to be here for a long, long time but right now the thought of letting anyone take something else and oushing me into menopause is just overwhelming. I haven't even finished my reconstruction yet from the mastectomy. I am feeling really low and really confused and... now looking back on this pretty whiney right now!

    Thanks everyone for your
    Thanks everyone for your input.
    Merlebee, I'm still unsure what to do. I know my onc said I had time to think it over. This is not an easy decision.
    Lupe
  • elm3544
    elm3544 Member Posts: 748
    #14
    I discussed a full hysterectomy with my GYN
    I figured since I am not using it, might as well get rid of it. Like everyone else said, one less thing to worry about. I had problems with it long before the BC anyhow.
    My Dr said its a good idea. I plan to do it by the end of the year.
  • lolad
    lolad Member Posts: 670
    #15
    elm3544 said:

    I discussed a full hysterectomy with my GYN
    I figured since I am not using it, might as well get rid of it. Like everyone else said, one less thing to worry about. I had problems with it long before the BC anyhow.
    My Dr said its a good idea. I plan to do it by the end of the year.

    With my situation
    they told me that i had to have a total hysterectomy. Im only 37 and didnt go through the chemo induced menopause. I started taking tamoxifen and after a couple months started having problems with bleeding constantly or having a rust color discharge and it wouldnt stop. Finally had a pet scan and it showed three tumors one on each ovarie and the other in my cervix. The onc oncologist also said my uterine lining was overexpressed, what ever that means. The tumors, one out of three, the one in my cervix was early stages cancer and the other two were benign. Its hard to tell you what to do, nobody can make up your mind. But, for me it was a pain in the you know what to have to go through another surgery, but i was once again saved because i did. And with the tamoxifen and being er,pr and her positive, its not a bad thing to think about having it done because there is a risk of getting cervical or ovarian cancer just from taking the meds. Good luck, let us know what you decide.

    Take care
    Laura
  • cathyp
    cathyp Member Posts: 376 Member
    #16
    elm3544 said:

    I discussed a full hysterectomy with my GYN
    I figured since I am not using it, might as well get rid of it. Like everyone else said, one less thing to worry about. I had problems with it long before the BC anyhow.
    My Dr said its a good idea. I plan to do it by the end of the year.

    ovaries
    please remember you need to consider that our ovaries protect our heart health when making your decision. Nothing is ever easy or black and white...darn!

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