I was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer 7 years ago, it had spread to spine, ribs and pelvis, though not severely. Since then I’ve been taking Letrozole and Palboclib, the latter 75mg, and on a 5-week cycle rather than 4 because my neutrophils never managed to recover with one week off. I have a CT scan now every 6 months, and there’s been no further spread of disease, no sign at all really now apart from some scarring where the bone cells won’t repair. I don’t experience any side-effects apart from getting tired more quickly than I think someone of my age should (I am 73).
For some time I’ve been wondering whether I really need to continue to take Palbo, would Letrozole alone keep it at bay, but whenever I mentioned the idea to an oncologist I was told there had been no trials and I shouldn’t take the risk. However I had an appointment today after latest CT scan (which is all clear as usual) and the oncologist said if I wanted I could go on to Letrozole only with a scan every 3 months. This was a phone appointment, and the next appointment, in 10 weeks time, will be face-to-face so that I can more details before deciding.
I feel generally very favourable to the idea, but would like to hear from anyone who has already gone down this route, or knows about any trials.
Hi there, sounds like you have a tough decision to make, that sounds really difficult. I noticed you've not had any replies yet but I wondered if you've considered speaking to one of the team at Macmillan. They might be able to help you think through the pros and cons. You can call the on 0800 808 0000 from 8am to 8pm daily. Best wishes
