Side effects force women off 'safe' cancer pills

[Sandy in Silicon Valley]

I'm wondering if this study only looked at women on "maintenance" anti-hormonals, rather than women with Stage IV bc.

It strikes me that, no matter how awful the side effects, very few women on the bcmets.org listserv have ever mentioned taking themselves off of Tamoxifen, Arimidex, or even oral Xeloda or Tykerb. Usually, we report bad side effects to our oncologists, perhaps ask to be switched to another drug in hopes of avoiding such severe symptoms, or, especially in the cases of Xeloda and Tykerb, which are large-dose medications with multiple pills taken daily, compromise on a dose reduction.

IMO, until we have diagnostic tests to predict which bc patients are most likely to benefit from which treatments, women with primary bc will continue to carve their own way and take their chances either taking, or discontinuing, these drugs.

(((hugs)))
Sandy in Silicon Valley