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Old 01-31-2011, 02:05 PM   #1
Nina
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 22
Re: AIs and depression

I read a lot this weekend about endocrine therapy. How the drop out rate due to side effects is at least 20%. How patients treated with taxol chemo (like me) are 4 times as likely to have severe arthritic side effects (like me). How women on AIs had more cognitive problems than those on Tamoxifen. Etc., etc. What I did not find was how much endocrine therapy would cut my recurrence rate. When I had the surgery, it was explained to me that I had a 40% rate of recurrence without chemo and radiation, but that with those I reduced that rate to 10%. How much does endocrine therapy further reduce that rate? To 5%? To 2%? Before I put myself through another trial with Femarra or Tamoxifen I would sure like to know exactly what the benefit is. There was a lot of talk about efficacy, but nothing about the numbers. Does anyone know about the numbers?
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Routine mammo 1/8/10
Ultrasound 1/22/10
Biopsy 2/2/10 - IDC, 2 cm, ER+, PR+, HER2 3+, Grade 3 (8/9)
Liver MRI (for other reason) on 2/12/10 clear - no mets
PET scan 3/5/10 - arm pit lymph nodes "lit up", no other areas of concern other than breast tumor
Lumpectomy 3/10 - tumor and all lymph nodes on left side removed
Pathology report results 3/19 show only 2 of 23 nodes removed were malignant, tumor margins were positive - additional surgery required
Second surgery 3/31/10
Pathology results 4/13/10- all margins clear
Stage 2a bc
Started TCH 4/30/10- finished 8/12/10 (2 more weeks of Herceptin to go)
9/2/10 - started Herceptin every three weeks
PET scan 9/18-10 - all well except shadowy area in lung
Started radiation 9/7/10 - finished 10/21/10
Aromasin started 11/1/10 (hate it!)
PET scan 12/13 area in lung is smaller - probably just inflamation
Aromasin stopped 1/14/11 due to side effects
Currently on AI holiday
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Old 01-31-2011, 03:48 PM   #2
MJo
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Wilmington, Del.
Posts: 1,126
Re: AIs and depression

I've had depression since my teens, so I can't tell if Femara causes depression in non-depressed people! I'm sure it isn't helping (Hah!) Do you have Seasonal Affective Disorder. I was diagnosed with BC in November 2005 and treated in December and January. Was crazier than I've ever been by February and better in March. I suggested to my oncologist and nurse practicitioner that patients with SAD who receive chemo during fall and winter might need special attention. They didn't think what I said had any scientific valididity. Sigh.
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MJO

IDC, Stage I, Grade 2
Oncotype DX Score 32
Her2++ E+P+, Node Neg.
Lumpectomy 11/04/05 Clear Margins
3 Dose dense AC (Couldn't tolerate 4)
4 Dose dense Taxol & Herc. (Tolerated well)
36 weeks Herceptin (Could not complete one year due to decrease in MUGA score)
2 years of Arimidex, then three years of Femara
Finished Femara May 2011
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