menstruating

[jeff]

Hello all,
I'm writing on behalf of my partner, Rachel, who was dxed about a year ago with bc (she was 38 then, with a lump of 3-4 cm., one node, er+, her2+3, lvi, grade 3). She stopped menstruating last February, after her first AC and didn't get her period back through the rest of the year.

Until yesterday: Christmas. We need to talk to her oncologist soon about what comes next--she just finished radiation. And we're wondering if any of you have experience with getting your period back so late after chemo (she finished in May--did dose-dense). The oncologist has been recommending Arimidex (which we would have pushed for anyway) but now the question, I suppose, is whether Rachel should have her ovaries out or just suppressed chemically.

She tested negative for BRCA 1 and 2, but at least one research guy I talked to (Matthew Ellis at Wash. U) said not to trust that: Rachel's mother and great-grandmother both had bc, and he suggested that with her history it might be worth having her ovaries out no matter what the test said. We have two great kids (14 and 6) and were probably done having babies, but it's still hard having the decision taken away...

Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Jeff

[Jennifer]

Jeff, Rachel sounds just like my sister, she is er/pr+, Her2 3+, she has mets to liver, lungs and nodes. She did Taxotere and Xeloda which put her in to a chemically induced menopause. Then she went to Herceptin and Femara, after about 8 mounths she began to have her period again. She has two kids as well and not planning for anymore, but she decided to go with Zoladex (sp?) to put her back into menopause and it has worked out very well. Her onc. told her too that this was a good option for her since she is so young and having your ovaries removed is a pretty big and irreversable step. If you have any other questions please feel free to ask and good luck. Jennifer