Wondering how many of you...

[Jean]

have also had a total hysterectomy as a means of precaution after being
dx. with bc? Does anyone know what the stats are of women who are
dx with bc and then later have problems with a cancer of the cervix, uterus
(not recurrance). I recently had a conversation with a women who had
a total hysterectomy - she had been dx. with bc and had this surgery as a
means of limiting additional cancers. She was menopausal and her cancer
was er +...since I am er+ also, I have been wondering about this.

Please add your two cents....thanks,

Jean

[Becky]

Dear Jean


When I took the required seminar prior to genetic testing, the stats were that approximately 16% of bc survivors would get ovarian cancer. That's a pretty high statistic. Even though I ended up testing negative for BRCA 1 & 2, I got my ovaries (and tubes) removed (not the uterus) for a couple of reasons. The biggest was the ovarian cancer factor - however, unlike many, my dad's mother died of ovarian cancer (as did her sister. My mom and 2 of her sisters had bc). Second, when I got a scan of my female organs, my left ovary had 2 structures on it (one of which the ob-gyn said could be "troublesome") and lastly, I was deemed in menopause from chemo via LH FSH and estradiol and I was on Arimidex (which is what I wanted as the AI/Herceptin is a great combo) but about 3 weeks before the oophorectomy, I got my period back. So, I took nothing until the ovaries were removed.

My ob-gyn didn't want to removed my uterus for 2 reasons. The first was that tamoxifen gives bc survivors the most problems with their female organs. It suppresses bc but can activate endometrial/uterine cancers (this is a known side effect of Tamoxifen). He said that if postmenopausal (either natural or surgical) with an AI really reduces the estrogen so as not to drive the other cancers like tamoxifen does. The second reason is that since I was going to get the benefit of an AI and no tamoxifen, then recovery is a wiz (and it was).

So, that's what I did and why

PS - the two structures were what is called corpus hemophagic (2 follicles that wanted to ovulate and didn't so they collapsed on themselves and filled with blood. This probably happened during a chemo blast when my body said - "oh no, no more". But they looked funny on ultrasound and never went away so they ended up looking odder).

[saleboat]

The one thing that is for sure, is that on this topic, we will all get different opinions based on the doctor that we ask. I was told that I was at a slightly higher risk of colon cancer, but that was it in terms of elevated risk for an additional cancer (besides a new bc primary). Thankfully no one is recommending that I 86 my colon.