Concurrent AI and Fulvestrant OR Exemestane
 

Hello,

Is anyone here being treated with an AI (letrozole or anastrozole) CONCURRENTLY with Fulvestrant or Exemestane? If yes how is this combination working out for you? Many thanks!

- Nguyen

01/2005 - current: Herceptin and Femara
07/2004: It returns via several small nodules in the lung
10/2002: NED (via CT and CA27.29)!
10/2001 - 01/2005: Femara, (Fosamax)
12/2000 - 10/2001: Herceptin and Navelbine
12/2000: lung metastatic was diagnosed (a few small nodules)
02/1998 - 12/2000: Daily Tamoxifen
05/1997 - 04/1998: Modified Radical Mastectomy, many many cycles of chemo regiments (CAF,Taxol, Carpoplatin, Thiotepa, Navelbine, Taxotere), including HDC, and radiation
05/1997: First diagnosed with BC stage 3A, ER+, PR+, HER2 +, poorly differetiated, nuclear grade 3.

I am not being treated this way but I read a study (I will try to find it) saying that if a woman fails on an AI, she could continue on that AI but add Faslodex shots (which degrade the estrogen receptor). The study stated that failure on the AI may NOT be what it seems and that it may be working well to drastically reduce the amount of estrogen produced but that the cancer cells actually adapt to be able to grow with just the slightest amount of estrogen present. Therefore, continue the AI to have the lowest possible amount of estrogen produced but add the Faslodex to degrade the estrogen receptor. This has been shown to be a viable combination that can work.


In the meantime, I will look for the study.

Becky,
You are right: I remember reading long ago a piece about what happens when someone stops taking Femara. While circulating estrogen was reduced in some cases to undetectable levels it was found that the estrogen receptors had become 6 orders of magnitude more sensitive to estrogen. There was no mention on how long this high sensitivity was lasting but it was making a link with the observation that stopping Femara sometimes causes a temporary rebound in markers