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Hi! I am scheduled to have a complete hysterectomy on May 8. I had my lumpectomy on March 8 with three positive lymph nodes-Grade 2, Stage 2A , ER/PR +, HER -, 49 years old. and have not started any treatments for the cancer. I am to meet with the cancer doctor on Monday to figure out what treatment they want to do with me. Has anyone had a hysterectomy first, and then treatment- thinking they are leaning toward radiation and hormone therapy. Just wondering which is the better way to go… read more
Hi Jillvernon, I sense a red flag here if docs are recommending you have your uterus removed just because they are taking your ovaries. Having your ovaries out is a pretty minor surgery, hysterectomy is a much bigger deal! I would get a second opinion. My path has been similar to yours, dx at 48, lumpectomy and radiation, and since I had not started menopause i was started on zoladex injections which shut down the estrogen produced by ovaries and arimidex pills which aide in shutting off estrogen. I still have the option to have ovaries removed anytime, but I have chosen to stay on the zoladex for now instead. At no point did any of my docs recommend hysterectomy. Best wishes and good health to you! Keep asking your docs questions!
I take Zoladex and letrozole too. Oncologist offered oophrectomy but I opted not to do it. Never mentioned hysterectomy to me thankfully.
Thank you for your response. Since I have not had any treatment yet, I do not know how Tamoxifen will impact me. I do know that my cancer is high ER+, PR+ so it does make sense -in my mind-to take the ovaries. I am meeting with cancer doctor on Monday to see what is best option for me. Will keep you posted. 🙂
@A MyBCTeam Member - I was 52 and all my docs (GYN, Surgeon, Onc (who I was still seeing at that time)) agreed that all I needed out were my ovaries and tubes. Since I didn't have any issues with my uterus, they agreed that it should stay to avoid common bladder and incontinence issues. I was nowhere near pre-menopausal based on my hormone blood levels, but since I had such terrible side effects on Tamoxifen and had stopped taking it (all the side effects went away within a month of stopping it) they wanted the highest estrogen factory in my body (my ovaries) out. The surgery was a breeze and I didn't have bad menopausal symptoms either. My surgeon thinks because I had such terrible side effects on Tamoxifen, that when he actually "pushed me over the menopausal cliff" (his words to me in pre-op), my body was already acclimated.
They are thinking hysterectomy because of the Estrogen producing ovaries and I would have no need to keep my uterus at that point. This may mean less hormone therapy too? I do not know at this point. I am to meet with the cancer doctor on Monday. Also getting genomic testing to see what is my best treatment option. Thanks for replying. Congratulations on being 5 years survivor! That is where I want to be 5 years from now. :-)
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