Femara?

[Chelee]

I haven't been real happy with any of my treatment...even had to switch oncologist. But I sure have learned to double check everything before taking their word for anything.

I am getting close to being done with my chemo...will have PET/CT scan next week to see if its helped? But my oncologist mentioned putting me on Femara? I just looked it up because NOBODY down there tells me anything...no matter how many times I ask.

Its late tonight...but everything I read on it was for EARLY stage breast cancer people. I am stage IIIA with node involvment. Her2/neu 3+++. So I do NOT consider me early stage?

Plus it said its NOT for people doing radiation. When I am done with my chemo...I am suppose to do radition for 6 weeks. So why is she telling me I will be put on Femara when I am done with chemo?

One more thing I am concerned about. I have serious scoliosis. (Bad curvature of the spine) Congential. I read Femara is worse on the bones then other drugs. Anyone here know anything about Femara? Or can guide me in a direction to research it a little better?

All I kept seeing is "Early stage" breast cancer...I am NOT early stage my any means. I am lost on this one.

Chelee

[Lani]

Everyone who is not metastatic (to distal organs, not the lymph nodes which are considered regional) is considered early breast cancer--like everything else in this story lots of patients are lumped together artificially who probably shouldn't be. But this has been the nomenclature and artificial divisions that have been utilized historically trying to fit many different square pegs into round holes.

I do not believe one AIs is considered worse than the others with respect to osteoporosis-- that doesn't mean that one is or isn't--it is just that the comparative studies are just beginning to accrue patients. Scoliosis does not make one more prone to osteoporosis than others, in fact it should not make one more prone to back pain than others, since 90% of adults experience back pain at one point or other in their life (it is hard to beat that 90% even if you do have scoliosis!)

I haven't really read up on whether to start the AI during or after radiation therapy, but in the past I think they waited for the radiation to be over. Again, new research makes it look as if closing the ER pathway may be necessary to avoid herceptin resistance, so maybe that is why they want you on an AI as early as possible (just guessing!)

Sounds like you don't trust your oncologists. If you are in northern California, I think I read of a free second opinion service for breast cancer patients in the SF Bay area that oncologist staff voluntarily. See if you can google it.

Hope this helps!

[saleboat]

Hi Chelee,

I started hormonal treatment during radiation-- there is not a clear-cut protocal for this vs. after radiation. I believe my Onc started Tamox along with radiation because of my risk of distant recurrance. In other words, she was more worried about the cancer spreading to a distant organ than she was about the local recurrance, which is what the radiation prevents. Your Oncs thinking likely runs along the same lines.

I hope you can get into a more trusting relationship with your Onc. It must be horrible to feel as though you're not getting the best treatment.

Good luck,
Jen

[al from Canada]

These are uncharted waters. My view is that you are being offered a treatment plan that others would fight for.
Good luck,
Al

[heblaj01]

If you do get on Femara be sure to have your bones monitored & even treated preventively for potential risk of osteoporosis, compression fractures & scoliosis.
This is based on experience of 20 months on Femara by a relative who got all of these side effects.
Annual Bone Density Scans may not detect bone damage soon enough since they require long time intervals to show change.
There are urine &/or blood tests to find early changes in bone resorption which are indicative of the trend in bone condition when taking Femara supplemented with such bone treatments as Zometa , Actonel etc...
There is a long term clinical trial called ZO-FAST underway combining Femara & Zometa (infused every 6 months). Interim reports in 2005 showed satisfactory bone density in those getting Zometa.

[Kim in CA]

Chelee,

I have been on Femara for 4 years now. When I had recurrence to my liver in 2001, a review of my original pathology reports, indicated that even though I was originally diagnosed as ER-, I was actually very slightly postitive (less than 10%) and a specialist at UCSF said that going on Femara couldn't hurt. Because I believe in hitting this disease from every possible angle, I agreed. I have bone density tests to monitor things and stay active physically, with lots of weight bearing exercises.

I didn't realize that even though my ovaries were fried back in 1997 when I had my stem cell procedure there are other tissues in the body that produce estrogen. So if the Femara keeps any estrogen from feeding my cancer, it's worth it to me.

Hope this helps, Kim in CA