Treatment after a lumpectomy

Hi Camino welcome to the forum. This choice has to be yours based on the best available evidence you have. If you choose not to take these then you need to be prepared should this come back with any what ifs! However, as you say taking them does come with side effects some more troublesome than others. As long as you are at peace with your choice that's OK. Best wishes whatever you decide to do. Gail x

Hi Camino ,

Hope you are recovering well from your surgery .

I had the same as you  two years ago when I was 70 . 
I had the radiotherapy as recommended and it wasn’t too bad . 
I started with hormone therapy and tried  3 different ones . They made me feel awful and I was struggling with the idea of taking them beforehand anyway . After a month or so I decided to not take any , after discussion with the consultant , and I’m happy with my choice so far . 
I think you just have  to do what you think is best once you’ve discussed it with your oncologist .

Wishing you all the best .

Carole

Thanks for your reply.  I've got time to think.  I had a relatively easy menopause,  but going through another ... I'm not so sure.  Plus aching joints and muscles. Hard to decide x

Hi Camino , I was 59 at diagnosis and I think my stats were quite similar re survival rates, maybe a bit higher. The percentage gain increased when looking at 10 and 15 years but still not big. However my understanding is that hormone therapy has a bigger effect on reducing recurrence- I’m not a medic so don’t quote me! So I have taken Anastrozole for over 6 years now, due to stop in December. I don’t love taking them and do have some side effects but I’ve found them manageable since I was able to retire earlier than planned. I wanted to do everything I could to reduce my risk of recurrence. 
But, as GRANNY59 has said, it’s definitely an individual choice. There’s also the option to try taking them and stop if you find any side effects intolerable. Others on this forum have also swapped to different forms of hormone therapy. 
Good luck with it all, you are definitely not being ridiculous for questioning any of the treatments on offer. Love and hugs, HFxx

Thanks for your thoughts ... helpful. It'll be interesting to see what the oncologist says. Hope you are keeping well x

Thank you. Hope its going OK for you x

Hi ..I  meant to ask what the effects  the tablets had on you. I know we are all different but it would help me to know x

Hi Camino. I'm almost 4 weeks into taking Letrazole and have been lucky re side effects.  My hair seems to be coming out a bit more than usual when washing/brushing and I have a bit of intimate dryness ( which I never had after the menopause).  Maybe a slight lowering of mood-but that may be because I'm getting a bit bored and am ready for going back to work... I have been off 4 months pre and post  2 x surgeries.

However I will keep an eye on the side effects and see how it goes.  I am involved in the SWEET study at my hospital, which is about seeing if extra support given to women by way of follow up phone appointments and a cess to specific app will stop them ceasing to take hormone blockers.   I understand that there is a large percentage that do stop.   Disappointingly I am in  the  control group who dont get the extra support

As long as you make the choice that's right for you.

Thank you. Everyone's thoughts and experiences are helpful.  Hope it goes well for you.  I do find it's on my mind so much during the day....I hope that stops eventually!! x