I wanted to wait until I’ve recovered from radiotherapy before starting my prescription but find I’m still hesitating whether or not to take this pill (65 and post-menopausal). There’s no getting away from the fact that the depletion of oestrogen causes known and well documented side effects which can be very debilitating but the risk of recurrence is obviously weighed against this.
My diagnosis: Grade 2, Stage I, no lymph node involvement, ER+8/8 PR+8/8 HER-, Oncotype score 12. Had lumpectomy surgery followed by 5 day radiotherapy which finished last week. Felt the push to begin the letrozole at my first oncology appointment when I signed the consent form for my radiotherapy, when I asked about side effects I felt the consultant dismissed this merely saying that some women have hand/wrist pain. There’s been no mention of a DEXA scan, isnt this offered as routine to determine bone density before the hormone therapy begins? The Predict tool calculation gave my individual benefit of 1.3% on hormone therapy for 5 years; 2.9% for 10 years. Research on Predict tool states that hormone therapy is beneficial for patients with a Predict score of 5-10%. Feel between a rock and a hard place. I’ve read scores of experiences on cancer forums regarding this drug. I’m now asking myself if my fear of the drug is worth more than the fear of recurrence? My next oncology appointment is in nine weeks. I’ve only met my consultant once, didn’t make a good impression on me, came across as cold, blunt and patronising, not looking forward to seeing her again.
Thanks if anyone can give me a kick in the right direction!
