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Chelee · 07-09-2006, 06:40 PM

Becky, A one two punch sounds good to me.

That is what I really thought my oncologist meant when she told me once I was off chemo...she would start me on femera. Its like she forgot? Since I am done with chemo...my next appt with her isn't for another 3 months. ARGH!

Its been 28 days since my last chemo. All I have been on is herceptin.

There doesn't seem to be one set rule for when to start tamox or a AI? After reading these posts...some did right away...some after? This is a confusing topic and one our medical team should be discussing with us in my opinion.

The BIGGER cancer center I went to recently for the 2nd opinion went over all my medical records and they really feel I am peri-menopausal. (So do I.) They say I should be on tamox and NOT femera? So I don't know what to think...or what I should be on?

My current oncologist said I WOULD be on femera...PERIOD. But I have heard like you mentioned...that you HAVE to be POST menopausal for tamoxifen to work. I was having a period before I got put into chemo pause. So WHY would my onc want to put me on femera? I do believe I was getting real close to being menopausal...but I wasn't quite yet at that time. The minute I started chemo...it stopped.

I wish all the oncologist would get on the same page about this topic. I am going to search some more and read up some more on this. I am have my weekly herceptin tomorrow...I will leave a message for my onc doc about this. Too many decisions...and important ones at that.

Thanks to all of you that replied.

Chelee

07-09-2006, 06:40 PM	#16
Chelee Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Southern, CA Posts: 2,511	Becky, A one two punch sounds good to me. That is what I really thought my oncologist meant when she told me once I was off chemo...she would start me on femera. Its like she forgot? Since I am done with chemo...my next appt with her isn't for another 3 months. ARGH! Its been 28 days since my last chemo. All I have been on is herceptin. There doesn't seem to be one set rule for when to start tamox or a AI? After reading these posts...some did right away...some after? This is a confusing topic and one our medical team should be discussing with us in my opinion. The BIGGER cancer center I went to recently for the 2nd opinion went over all my medical records and they really feel I am peri-menopausal. (So do I.) They say I should be on tamox and NOT femera? So I don't know what to think...or what I should be on? My current oncologist said I WOULD be on femera...PERIOD. But I have heard like you mentioned...that you HAVE to be POST menopausal for tamoxifen to work. I was having a period before I got put into chemo pause. So WHY would my onc want to put me on femera? I do believe I was getting real close to being menopausal...but I wasn't quite yet at that time. The minute I started chemo...it stopped. I wish all the oncologist would get on the same page about this topic. I am going to search some more and read up some more on this. I am have my weekly herceptin tomorrow...I will leave a message for my onc doc about this. Too many decisions...and important ones at that. Thanks to all of you that replied. Chelee __________________ DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes. Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs. Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06 Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07 3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07 9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV. 9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa 9-29-09 Power Port Placement 10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head. 11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed 12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa. 3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed. 4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone. 5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy. Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time. 7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.