May 17, 2012 Mamma Morano Update – Happy Dance…

May 17, 2012 Mamma Morano Update – Happy Dance…

On May 2^nd 2012, Mom had received her pathology results through her surgeon from her mastectomy operation and the results were really positive. The base results were as follows:

·         The original tumor was definitely small – 1.6 cm

·         There were no other tumors found

·         Of the four lymph nodes that were remove NONE of them had any cancer spread to them

·         Her cancer is Estrogen and Progesterone positive which means she is a candidate for hormone therapy

So based on these “unremarkable” results (I love when things are unremarkable), the surgeon indicated that Mom may not need to have chemo or radiation.  To confirm these assumptions, Mom was referred to an Oncologist for May 17^th, 2012 where the results were reviewed again and the next steps were discussed. 

Although the surgeon was fairly certain about the next steps, I did not want to do the “Happy Dance” or communicate the “Happy Dance” before we knew for sure from the oncologist himself.

So join us in the “Official Happy Dance”… Mom does NOT need to go through chemo treatments or radiation based on the positive pathology report.  This, again, overwhelming proves that EARLY DETECTION is key to minimizing intrusive and expensive treatments and reducing chances of recurrence and mortality – the equation is so easy Early Detection, Early Detection, Early Detection…..

As you can probably guess, I am over the moon about this as the road for her should not be as difficult now that she is healing well from her operation.  Also, this means (for me anyway) that the mastectomy was probably the better choice as it eliminated the need for radiation where the lumpectomy would have still required radiation – I don’t think radiation would have been too pleasant on top of being disfigured.

Mom now only needs to be on what is called  Aramatase Inhibitors. The brand of Aramatese Inhibitor she has been prescribed is Letrozole or Femara and she will need to be on this medication for the next four years.  The follow describes the purpose/usefulness/side effects of Aramatase Inhibitors (per info from the oncologist confirmed on a web site I googled: http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/hormonal/aromatase_inhibitors/):

Aromatase inhibitors stop the production of estrogen in post-menopausal women. Aromatase inhibitors work by blocking the enzyme aromatase, which turns the hormone androgen into small amounts of estrogen in the body. This means that less estrogen is available to stimulate the growth of hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer cells.

Aromatase inhibitors can't stop the ovaries from making estrogen, so aromatase inhibitors only work in post-menopausal women.

There are three aromatase inhibitors:

Arimidex (chemical name: anastrozole)

Aromasin (chemical name: exemestane)

**Femara (chemical name: letrozole) – this is the one my Mom has been prescribed

Each is a pill, usually taken once a day. Arimidex and Femara are available as generic medicines.

Benefits of aromatase inhibitors

A number of studies have compared aromatase inhibitors with tamoxifen to see which type of medicine was more effective in treating early-stage, hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer in post-menopausal women. Based on the results, most doctors recommend that after initial treatment (surgery and possibly chemotherapy and radiation therapy):

·         An aromatase inhibitor is the best hormonal therapy to start with. When treating early-stage, hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer, aromatase inhibitors have more benefits and fewer serious side effects than tamoxifen.

·        Switching to an aromatase inhibitor after taking tamoxifen for 2 to 3 years (for a total of 5 years of hormonal therapy) offers more benefits than 5 years of tamoxifen.

·        Taking an aromatase inhibitor for 5 years after taking tamoxifen for 5 years continues to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back, compared to no treatment after tamoxifen.

 

Side effects of aromatase inhibitors

Aromatase inhibitors tend to cause fewer serious side effects than tamoxifen, such as blood clots, stroke, and endometrial cancer. But aromatase inhibitors can cause more heart problems, more bone loss (osteoporosis), and more broken bones than tamoxifen, at least for the first few years of treatment. If you and your doctor are considering an aromatase inhibitor as part of your treatment plan, you may want to ask your doctor about having a bone density test to see if a bone strengthening medicine might be necessary while you're taking the aromatase inhibitor.

The most common side effects of aromatase inhibitors are joint stiffness or joint pain.

Joint pain from taking an aromatase inhibitor can be troubling. But a 2008 British study suggests that women who experienced joint pain while taking hormonal therapy medicine were less likely to have the breast cancer come back (recur). Knowing that this side effect might indicate a reduced risk of the cancer coming back may help some people stick with treatment despite the side effects.

Now Mom just needs to focus on completing the healing process from the surgery.  She is, in fact healing quite well – she does have some pain and does get tired, but this is normal at this stage of the game.  We will shop for her “fake boob” soon so that she is not always “lop-sided”.  This will help her feel somewhat normal and feel better in clothes when she goes out. We can compare “fake boobs” while I still need to have oneJ

Thanks everyone for your support, prayers and good wishes – they have certainly helped in this part of my Mom’s and our family’s journey.

There is ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS something to be thankful for!