10 years of Tamoxifen?

duga35 · 10-27-2014, 10:55 AM

Hello everyone, it's been awhile since I last checked in, hope everyone is doing well!

What do you think about the new reports that now say 10 years of tamoxifen is better than 5? When I first started taking it I had weight gain, my onc said that I was crazy and that it doesn't cause weight gain. Well, I hit my 5 year mark and stopped taking it, the weight starting coming off and I lost over 50 pounds within a year. I went back for my yearly and he suggested I go back on it because of the report. I didn't want to at first because of the weight gain, but then I thought maybe I should, so I did. Yep, I started gaining again after taking it for only 30 days so I stopped it again.

Thoughts?

snolan · 10-27-2014, 12:26 PM

I'm approaching my 5 yr mark soon, my onc also wants me to cont for the 10 yrs. I haven't had much wt gain maybe 5 lbs. I read the study and the decrease in reoccurrence from taking it longer was 2-3% and wasn't seen until the 9 yr mark. I guess it depends if that % is significant enough for you to want to take it. Since it doesn't bother me I plan on taking it for the 10 yrs.

Lien · 10-29-2014, 01:32 PM

Weight gain would probably put you at risk for other diseases, and it seems the weight gain was certainly connected to taking Tamoxifen in your case. If the risk reduction is only a couple percent points, I would rather stay slender and be monitored regularly for recurrence. It is a difficult choice, but we do what we can and there are no guarantees that you will remain cancer free while taking Tamoxifen. You will just improve your odds.

I guess the bottom line is: could you live with your decision if you have a recurrence further down the line? Or would you blame yourself and feel miserable about it? Do you need more data on the risks of weight gain to help you make your decision?

I took hormonal therapy even though my doc didn't specifically recommend it at the time (he would now, he said) because my children were aged 3, 8, 12 and 16 at the time. I did not want to leave them behind without a mother. I wanted to accept any and every side effect if that could improve my chances of being there for my kids until they left home. My youngest is 14 now, and I would still do everything to see him through high school. But after that? I am not so sure.

Just my two cents

Jacqueline

v-ness · 11-17-2014, 08:19 AM

my onco is leaning toward keeping me on tamoxifen for 10 yrs. i went on blood thinners in june because i got a blood clot in my leg on long trains and planes home from italy. so i have to be on coumadin for as long as i am on tamoxifen now. the idea of both for 10 years is a little daunting. but since my only SE is hot flashes, and i've had 5 yrs of those now, what the hell, might as well. i should actually be on AIs since i am 54 and post-menopausal, but i was not AI friendly, terrible side effects from every one. apparently, given the blood clot, i am not terribly tamoxifen friendly either!

my theory about weight gain is this: yes, being overweight contributes to breast cancer and yes, tamoxifen can make you gain weight. so what to do? get your ass to a gym or outside and workout. it does double-duty in making you feel better, lose weight, and decreases the chance of recurrence. a lot of people will say they're too tired to exercise, but it seems to me that the alternative really sucks. and when you get yourself going, you actually pick up more energy and it evolves into a happier, healthier you. so if treatment makes you fat, flip it into something good all round.

tricia keegan · 12-03-2014, 04:32 PM

I took Arimidex for eight years and had no weight gain, quit smoking and gained a lot, I'll be trying to lose it in the new year but prefer weight gain to a cancer recurrance so I would continue on it.