Any info on A.I.inhibitor after 5 years?

[CLTann]

My 5 year Femara is coming to the end soon. Are there any new instructions or opinions on what I need to do? On the one hand, I don't have to put up with minor joint discomfort anymore. On the other hand, I feel that I am losing a reliable support. There must be quite a few patients in a similar situation like I. How are you coping with this?

[Laurel]

Ann,

I know there are studies pending, but no definitive recommendations as yet that I know of. I suppose you could consider DIM and Calcium D-glucarate. I think you are lucky to be nearing the end, frankly! Hurrah for you!!!!!

Have you read Suzanne Summers new book? She discusses balancing hormones. There are docs listed in the reference section for each state. Do your homework is all I can say. Good luck!

[Becky]

Dear Ann

I hit my 5 yrs on Arimidex in Sept (they aren't counting the 3 months I was on Tamoxifen so I guess I am getting alittle extra). My onc told me he was going to keep me on longer but that was awhile ago. The last time I saw him (after Thanksgiving), he commented that I only had about a year to go. I decided not to seize that moment to discuss being on longer as I will see him again in May and that will be a better time to address it and then reassess as I have a current prescription that will carry me through until now (which would be about 5 months over 5 yrs).

It's a real crap shoot of a decision to discuss. There is no real data on being on an AI longer than 5 yrs although if highly hormone positive (and not Her2+) it might make sense to fight to stay on (as long as the side effects are not super debilating). But the Her2 positivity does need to be considered too... downgrade the hormone receptors/upgrade the Her2 receptors? No one really knows. I do know that staying on longer is in trial now but there are no preliminary results yet. I was hopeful there might be but then, the AIs have only been approved for early stage bc since October 2004 so even if they kept some of the early trial women on longer, they may not have analyzed any results (or perhaps there have been so little statistical results, they want to see how it fares in reducing very, very late recurrences (lets say after 10 yrs out) and those very late recurrences are rare too.

Have a frank discussion with your onc on the pros and cons. Another thought could be to ask to go on Evista which works like Tamoxifen but without alot of Tamoxifen's bad side effects (and its good for the bones too). I don't know the answer but I am searching myself for the right route to go especially since I still have both of my breasts.

Peace to you

[Nancy L]

I would love to have your diagnosis. Your prognosis is so so good. Go celebrate!! But if you really want to learn about A.I. Research, three very impressive researchers/oncologists from Dana Farber answer some questions during this session which is mostly targeted at metastatic disease but talks about the various breast cancer tools and where it is all going. I am metastatic and I found it fasinating. Their comments raised my hopes.

http://www.mbcnetwork.org/video/ericwebversion2.html

[suzan w]

So glad you brought this up as I am also nearing the end of a 5 year arimidex regimen. I am between oncologists, the one in Seattle says 5 years will be enough,and the one in NM is not sure what I should do...hope someone figures it out soon!!!

[PinkGirl]

My onc told me that it's not a "given" that I will stop Arimidex after
5 years ... we'll make that decision when the time comes. They are
counting the years from when I stopped Herceptin not from when I was
dx.