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[GypsyRoseLee]

My first mammogram picked up something. It's a level 2 invasive ductal cancer. And yes, it is oestrogen sensitive. I have to stop my HRT immediately. I have a lumpectomy in 2 weeks, followed by radiotherapy for 2 weeks. I will have to take something to inhibit oestrogen, for 5 years.

I am devastated. I don't know what to do. I can't go back to how I felt before. Have I brought this on myself using such high levels of oestrogen?

[CLKD]

Probably not.  Despite thoughts that some breast disease can be oestrogen triggered, you have found quality of life after a long haul. Keep that thought in mind that you had a fight to get stable!!

I underwent the procedure that you are facing - there will probably be a gap between the surgery and the start of radiation to allow wound to heal and to give the body a break; the lump should be taken to histology even though it's seen on mammogram.  Is there an option for mastectomy, so that you could continue with HRT?  Was this discussed?  I had a small area of 'sunburn' over the radiation site which was treated with steroid cream. 

If you feel that is a option do ask to see the Surgeon again.  We are told so often that we shouldn't use HRT if there is breast disease but I can't understand why we aren't offered bitateral mastectomy if HRT can be prescribed after.  HRT can be a Life saver after all.

Do find out what you will be taking as an oestrogen inhibitor.  tamoxifen almost killed me as I became sensitive to smells, taste, had cold flushes  and as I hadn't felt ill during diagnosis and treatment, decided not to continue with it.  Still here >wave<. There are other medications now I believe worth visiting a Pharmacist perhaps to discuss?

Let us know how you get on.  Also, once the surgery and treatment is over, it might be worth you writing to the manufacturer of the product or getting the Surgeon to do so.  I believe that without communication treatments won't evolve.

 

[Hurdity]

Hi GypsyRoseLee

I am so so very sorry to hear about this and there is nothing I can say except I will be thinking of you over the next few weeks as you start your treatment.

The causal connection between oestrogen and breast cancer is I expect you know, controversial and not established although it is known that should a cancer arise, if it is oestrogen fed then it will probably grow quicker if you are taking extra oestrogen than if you were not, so please do not blame yourself. We all are aware of the potential risks and have to weigh up the risks and benefits vs quality of life and from what you've said in the past you were desperate for some relief from hormonal fluctuations and depression when oestrogen dropped.

Please take good care of yourself and if you are able to transfer to one of the prescribed anti-depressants to help and especially while you withdraw from the HRT - there are a couple that are particualrly recommended - I think they are Venlafaxene and maybe Fluoxetine - but I can look this up if you like - I posted I think on here?

  from me too

Hurdity xx

[Bring me Sunshine]

GRL

Im sending you a great big hug(I don't how to do those emojis) but its very heartfelt. Its always in the back of my mind and Ive read and read and read so much on hrt and risks and breast cancer is also in my family and it is a balancing act.  You have not brought anything on yourself.  My decision was to go on it as I had no quality of life and probably wouldnt have survived not going on it.  As Hurdity said anti depressants may help the withdrawal and be the way forward They have been my lifeline in the past. Listen the way my hrt has pooped out on me recently I will be joining you on anti depressants.

All the very very very best wishes xxx

[bear]

Hi GypsyRoseLee,

Sending you a huge hug 

Now you have to focus on your treatment and overall health, no use worrying about the past.

Thinking of you, keeps us posted.

BeaR.

[Perinowpost]

Really sorry to hear that GRL . There's loads they can do now for breast cancer. Like the others said talk to your consultant and see what your options are. Wishing you well xx

[Ladybt28]

Sorry, that's rubbish news GRL and most certainly don't go down the road of "was it my fault etc".  As Hurdity says (and Louise Newsom I think and a cancer doctor who I can't remember his name but he did a podcast with Newsom???) there has been no proven link but somehow with all the old studies floating around and GP's spouting "oooh hrt, don't do that" we think it's something we've "done".  Anyway, I think people who are really sick with their meno symptoms that are off the scale have hardly any quality of life and so you treat the meno symptoms any way you can, because there is no other alternative.  The mental impact of not treating them is probably more life threatening than the "risk".  You just do what you have to live day to day regardless of anything else, its all about balancing risk.

You are suffering from such shock news, it's easy to think "what if" but try not to 

Your treatment is soon but not soon enough I'm sure and it's scary, but talk to anyone who will listen about returning meno issues and what might be done. Get as much info as you can because by the sounds of your post fear of how to deal with that because you were so bad before, is likely to be just as bad as worrying about the diagnosis and treatment itself.
Thinking of you xx

[Katejo]

My first mammogram picked up something. It's a level 2 invasive ductal cancer. And yes, it is oestrogen sensitive. I have to stop my HRT immediately. I have a lumpectomy in 2 weeks, followed by radiotherapy for 2 weeks. I will have to take something to inhibit oestrogen, for 5 years.

I am devastated. I don't know what to do. I can't go back to how I felt before. Have I brought this on myself using such high levels of oestrogen?

really sorry to hear this. I had a scare from my 1st mammogram and was called back. Fortunately it was a false alarm. Were you on local oestrogen for VA? Are they saying that you have to stop that too?

[GypsyRoseLee]

Thank you for being so lovely. I'm trying to keep calm and stay logical. I am more scared of the awful depression and anxiety coming back, than I am of the cancer diagnosis. But that might be because I know the prognosis is good.

I don't know how I will feel stopping HRT. I have always taken 100mg of sertraline alongside it. And I started them at the same time, so have never known which helped the most? I am praying very hard that the Sertraline will be a cushion. Plus, I am 50 this year so four years older than when I started HRT, so maybe I'm over the worst of the mood issues? All the other women in my family were post menopause by 46 anyway.

[Sparrow]

You should checkout the Alternatives section on here GRL.  I'm sure you will find lots of useful information there.

[Alua197]

So sorry to hear of your diagnosis which could have happened with or without hrt.

I hope treatment goes well and is successful.

I wanted to give you a positive story about stopping hrt. I had an horrific peri and ended up in and out of hospital having tests for everthing. As a result of inept doctors not listening to me and me not listening to my instincts and to the doctors instead i nearly died. I ended up on a cocktail of ads and benzos and had it not been for the internet i would be dead by now from suicide or drug side effects. All the drugs they gave me made me so sick. Anyway i started on hrt and life improved. I was on it 4 years and was petrified of coming off it but about 8 months ago i weaned off over a 3 month period. I have been off 5 months.

Now i have had my bad periods but overall i feel dramtically better off hrt and the intensity of the peri symptoms has subsided a lot.

I am still having periods so still peri.

I came off the hrt as it was affecting my vision and giving me regular migraines with aura, sometimes weekly. I also had terrible depression and anxiety but obviously ads were out of the question so i thought i would eliminate the hrt and not a migraine since and huge improvement in how i feel. I also got diagnosed with melanoma on hrt and didnt want to add any risk factors but i was fortunate they got it early.

I didnt think i would survive without hrt but i am thriving and getting my life back. I hope things go well for you too.

Peace and soladarity xxx

[GypsyRoseLee]

That is really encouraging to read, thank you for sharing. I've been reading back in my diary and can see that I had been on Prof Studd's 3 pumps + Utro + Testogel for 3 months with no real improvement. That's why I started on Sertraline, and there was a definite improvement almost straight away, I went very Zen for a few weeks. It was still up and down though, so I increased the Sertraline AND increased to 4 pumps.

So, I'm really hoping it was sertraline that helped me more than HRT? I never really had any of the physical symptoms of peri, it was always the anxiety and depression that floored me.

You were so brave to wean yourself off HRT. What made you decide to do it?

[GypsyRoseLee]

*Alua* so didn't HRT help with your depression and anxiety?

[Wrensong]

Hi GRL, so very sorry to hear this, but please don't even think about blaming yourself.  We all have to make the decision whether or not to treat our life-wrecking menopause symptoms with a medication about which the state of knowledge is still very much incomplete.  You took what felt like the right decision at the time & none of us can do more than that.  Seems to me that was not only the sensible but the responsible thing to do, as when we are under par with debilitating symptoms for an indeterminate length of time this can also have a seriously negative effect on others who share our lives.

The jury is still out on the link between HRT & development of breast cancer (sadly in my FH) & my understanding, after a great deal of reading that's continually ongoing, is that it has not been proven to be causative. 

You are right to be optimistic about your prognosis - treatments are very effective these days.  Your breast surgeon should be able to advise which ADs are safe to take with hormone blockers, so please talk to him/her about this as soon as you can to put your mind at rest.

Will also send you a PM later - I hope that's OK.
Wx

[CLKD]

I too am scared at times that the depression and anxiety will floor me in future and I don't know if I have the strength to go through that
again  .  4 me it is so physical and gets into my head somehow with negative 'this will never improve' thoughts.

Will you wean off GRL?  Maybe have a chat with the anesthetist ?   Most Surgeons work with a team so you should be able to contact his 'gas man' ;-) for a chat prior to admission.  I found it very helpful to speak with the anaesthetists prior to surgery .  It gave her time to make a plan specifically for me.