Hi all,
A couple of (maybe silly) questions going round my head. I'm seeing BC nurse next Wednesday but I'm a bit impatient and I'm trying really hard to avoid Dr Google.
I've got two lumps in left breast 11mm Stage 2 & 21 mm Stage 3 both IDC and both ER+. Left axilla clear.
I'm having left mastectomy in about 5 weeks with Sentinel Node Biopsies.
If cancer has been found in one breast and is ER+ why don't they recommend a double mastectomy? Are there studies/figures that show the likelihood of the other breast being or becoming cancerous?
Can the amount of oestrogen your body is producing be measured?
I'm 63 - had hysterectomy at 44 (kept ovaries) started menopause about 18 months after hysterectomy. Didn't go on HRT (stubborn re taking meds!) but instead took a cocktail of supplements. (I've been on a hateful SSRI for 25 years but that's a whole other topic for another forum!)
Then about 18 months ago I had a really bad mental health episode which resulted in me having 4 months off work. Changed GP and he agreed that Oestrogen HRT may well help We discussed benefit vs increased risk of getting breast cancer (very small increased risk) and to be honest I actually said to him at the time my mental health is more of a priority because I can't and wouldn't want to live like that. That remains the case. So I've been on the HRT Oestrogen only for about 13 months now and without being dramatic they have been a lifesaver.
Following mastectomy it's recommended that I take anti-oestrogen meds for a number of years only reason being obviously because my BC is ER positive.It may not have been the initial cause but it's certainly caused it grow according to Consultant.. I've to stop patches which I'm going to wean myself off gradually because I stopped a couple of weeks ago and anxiety went through the roof.. The irony is I need the Oestrogen to get me through the BC diagnosis & treatment
So say I manage to get off the HRT by the time I've recovered from the op, how much oestrogen does a 63 year old, 18 years post-menopause woman actually produce. And therefore what are the benefits of anti-oetsrogen meds versus the risk of reoccurrence (due to oestrogen not any other factors) and the horrendous side effects that my history shows I will suffer???
Apologies for the long post & well done if you're still awake!
Thanks & hugs x
