Thread: Onco Confused...Help!

( I'm not sure about 2 months, but I was only on Tamoxifen for 4 months. I'm not sure if it helped, but what I do know is it put me into menopause \(at 41 years old\), almost immediately, therefore I did not have to undergo an oopherectomy. , )

( Worried Hubby, It took 5 to six months before my Liver went NED on Femara. Which is an Aromatase Inhibitor. I was on Tamoxifen for about 15 months before it failed me and Mets was discovered. I would just hate to blow through her Hormonal options so quickly. But when re-reading your post, you said that she had progression, so it is probably wise to do Arimidex next which is another Aromatase Inhibitor. , )

Hi Worried_Hubby - agree with jeanne46 about not being doctors - but I am surprised that they were not able to determine the kind of cancer when they did the oopherectomy - I would have thought and HOPED that they could have given you a definitive answer from the pathology. I agree that someone needs to go back to the pathology and clearly identify whether this is solely breast cancer or breast and ovarian - please do not feel bad about going...

( Very sorry to hear about your wife.  Unfortunately we are not doctors here.  Since your wife has two divergent opinions, I would suggest a third.  I don't know where you live, but if you are near a major cancer center, that would be a good place to begin.  I would also suggest having the tissue from your wife's ooph. sent to another pathology department for a fresh reading.  , )

( Just a few thoughts-which may or may not be helpful. Firstly, it's not unusual to be asymptomatic with mets. I've had mets to pleura, liver and bones for 2 years-and it's only been in the past few months that I've had any pain. I'm not sure why her docs are surprised-it happens quite often-a few of us here are in similair positions. I'm not sure that a third opinion would be necessary at this point. It sounds...

( Dee \(0:  , )

One  of best pathologist in the country w/ respect to breast cancer is Dr. David Page at Vanderbilt University.  I would suggest that the ovaries and the original breast tumoe be sent to that lab for an anlaysis.  I did have an isolated metastasis develop to my ovary after 10 years of breast cancer remission.Metastasis to the ovary is not that unusual for breast cancer, however I...

My two cents would be to get another opinion, better to be safe than sorry. I would suggest a major cancer center. Not sure where you live but the ones by me are Sloan Kettering in New York and Dana Faber in Boston. Best Wishes, Jan

( Thank you all for your replies and support in these trying times. We are in fact in Mumbai, India. ReneePals asked a pertinent question \(Thanks, Reneepals\) whether 2 months is sufficient for Tamoxifen to begin taking effect. Any thoughts? Hugs and Wishes, worried_hubby , )

i got a re-accurance after being on tomoxifen for 2 years.  it is possible that it didn't work like in my case.  I ended up getting the oopherectomy and that took about 3-4 months to work on top of the chemo i'm on.  My overies were also filled with tumors but my oncologist said it's still breast cancer.  Get a thrid opinion if you have to.