I had an appointment with oncology today and was offered this new drug. I agreed to try it..looking at the side effects its a bit worrying as I'm not even managing anastrozole very well yet.
That’s my main concern- that I’ve knocked out a whole secondary treatment line if it spreads after taking it for primary….but I think, even if it ends up being the same time-frame to anything awful, I’d rather the bulk of it was was as no evidence of disease and living with the hope so I’ll take it if offered. Who knows what treatments may come out in the next few years as immunotherapy is definitely making headway, albeit it slowly.
I think it's best not to worry about it coming back. At the end of the day we are having all this treatment to reduce the risk and the odds are well in our favour of being healthy and disease free. I just want to get back to enjoying the things I love.
Thanks- I really try not to but I know how high risk I am. I really wish I’d never looked - Just hope medicine moves on a lot in the next few years or that the stats really are a little out of date as they don’t include this drug or ovarian suppression or radiation on predict. Xx
As far as I’m aware, Predict is based on tamoxifen results, not Aromatase Inhibitors, and AIs are thought to be more effective for post menopausal women. So out of date there, and it won’t include Abemaciclib benefits yet. I’m sticking to the belief that there’s enough data from the main trials and accompanying research, to make it worthwhile. It’s an expensive drug and there aren’t any cheaper, generic options yet - so NICE would not support if there was too little or no real benefit.
Also keeping the faith that research continues and that there will be new treatments in years to come xx
It is based on tamoxifen; my oncologist won’t let me have an AI even after ovarian suppression puts me into menopause as she thinks there are too many health benefits from estrogen to be missing it almost entirely. I don’t really agree as I’d rather be alive with side effects than risk reoccurrence but can’t really argue with it. I will ask to switch in a few years again. X
I'm not sure how you can come out as high risk on predict if you have had surgery chemo rads and hormone therapy. My is 90 something % (I had 6 lymph nodes) and that doesn't include dying from another cause. Maybe I'm doing it wrong.
When you think that bc is one in 7 for women in a life time that's 14 % for all women so if you factor that in yhe percentage must be very small.
I was grade three- my five year is about 88%, but that’s death. From looking on massive studies, such a ebtab, relapse by five years is over 1 in 5 and death is 1 in 3.5 for me by 10 and then 40% ish by 15. At 39 years old, this feels very high risk to me. The oncologist said to focus on the 5 year stats, but that’s really nothing.
rhere is a thread somewhere on travel insurance - some people have posted good companies that charge a reasonable annual rate.
holidays are something I intend to take more of in the future. Xx
