I had recurrence 15 years after taking five years of tamoxifen. I had mastectomy, chemo, radiation, reconstruction, hysterectomy and at 10 years was told I was cured. Then 18 months ago I was dx with stage IV breast cancer in my bones. I am currently taking letrozole (Femara) once daily and it has been keeping any new cancer activity at bay! I suffer the pain, weight gain, the hot flashes and the night sweats something awful, but the alternative would be chemo and I've been that route and want to postpone it as long as I can!. I will stay on the med until it stops working and then I go on chemo! I don't want to scare you ladies, but this does happen and it is uncommon to go so long between occurrences. I have always been the exception to most rules. LOL. Hang in there you have to remember to just live for today, enjoy the day, don't worry about tomorrow and try to not live your life in fear of recurrence. I did for the first three years, then I decided to live my life free of fear and it happened anyway after I was cured. But the cancer cells were laying dormant and bam.... Here I am today. Good luck, and please don't live in fear! Lynn

I have been taking Arimidex since last September. So far, so good. No side effects that I can see or feel.

I have just been down that road, I have taken Arimidex for 4 years and 2 months. For me the side affects have gotten to a level that is hard to deal with. I had my oncologist check up and mammogram yesterday and we discussed options. I cannot in good faith take another drug (with more side affects) in order to possibly help? The side affects I am having with the Arimidex. I also don't want to switch to a different drug, after this length of time he said if I switched, I would probably have to be on the new one for several more years. So I am going off, I hope and pray it is the right decision. Quality of life has to come into play. I am only speaking for myself and I did take it for almost the 5 year protocol.

Almost exactly 1 yr after starting Tamoxifen the cancer showed up again in my axilla lymph nodes.

I had a recurrence while on Tamoxifen 10mos post mastectomy. Don't worry, I'm part of a very small percentage <1%. Currently on Arimidex for last 15mos. Hate it.