Has anyone used Letrozole to control tumors without surgery?

Yes I’ve been on Letrozole bout 6 yrs

If you hav IBC not having surgery isn’t an option

If you have a tiny tumor,there are places that are basically biopsy out most of it then cryo or layering the area. Minimally invasive, done by Radiology. I think it's brilliant especially for older women. I believe it's a study.

I’m 76 and had an 8mm tumor discovered last October. Surgeon in loca hospital wouldn’t do lumpectomy under local, and wanted me to go into a study using Letrozole only. I wasn’t comfortable with that because I was unsure I could tolerate 5 years of Letrole, given my other medical conditions. So, went to MSK, which wanted to do the lumpectomy and follow up with Letrozole. Two months into the Letrozole, I’m hanging in, but with difficulty. Lumpectomy was very easy.

Sarah G, did you not need radiation?

Wendy L—Due to severe, life long, undiagnosed (and hence untreated) severe obstructive sleep apnea, resulting in advanced liver disease, I am not a good candidate for radiation, especially since the cancer is in the right breast. (Believe me when I when I say that NAFLD came as quite a shock, since I never smoked, drank or did drugs and am pretty health conscious, but every doc I went to for sleep issues For forty years missed the diagnosis, probably because I am not the stereotype, which is morbidly obese.) However, if I can’t tolerate the Letrozole, five days of highly focused radiation was mentioned as the alternative.  But the surgery was the easiest, least painful I have ever had—by far. I had absolutely NO pain, never needed a single pain pill, and used only a day or two of icing. No down time. It healed very quickly and the two inch scar has already faded. No cosmetic impact, but it was a small, 8mm IDC tumor.

My tumor is not real tiny, it is 2.3cm which I am told is still not really large either. However it has gotten smaller since taking the Letrozole. It is lLC which is invasive… but currently contained to the left breast only. All nodes are clear. In need of some good help & navigation guidance. Will not have anesthesia here because they fail to address the issue of past anesthesia causing strokes in me. Will not have masectomy because of the anesthesia issue & because my immune system will not accept silicone implants. Please where can I go that does oconoplastic surgery that will address my anesthesia?

Thanks Sarah G. Glad to hear it wasn’t bad.

Ok ,so not so common but anesthesia might be able to do a block in the chest area, along with local by surgeon and maybe some light sedation. If you can reach out to the anesthesia department of a bigger breast surgery hospital they might be able to help.

Suzy Q. A history of strokes during or after anesthesia CAN be indicative sleep apnea. Have you ever had a sleep study? If they know you have sleep apnea, they use different anesthesia,-possibly more expensive. It’s important to check for undiagnosed SA before any non emergency surgery in anyone with an unknown sleep status. One of my grandfathers died after routine successful hernia surgery at age 72 in 1980, due to the anesthesia causing a CVD event. I wish I could tell you that that isn’t happening anymore, but, because we don’t screen for SA, and 80 percent of the people who have it have no clue they have it, they are still routinely dying of it during or after anesthesia. If they are “lucky” they only have a stroke.

I'm in the DEBRA clinical trial. Had ILC, lumpectomy, neg node. On Letrozole only, 3 yrs... 2 more to go. No radiation. Oncotype 15.

Cherie S… glad to here about you on Letrozole. I have been on it for the 6 months, so far doing fine, tumor smaller … yet the doctor has little faith in this medicine & still pushes masectomy. Where is this trail study taking place? Must you pay for it or insurance covered?

Sarah G… thanks for the info about sleep apnea. I do not know if I have it, but I do not sleep fully. I have an extremely hard time falling asleep. Wake up after a couple of hours, then can not fall asleep again.

Who has time to go have a sleep study when they keep pushing toxic testing over & over again.

Suzy Q. In my case, the study was being done at Stamford Hospital in CT, but also connected to Dana Farber. I much preferred the lumpectomy option and my surgery was the easiest I have ever had. I was told that the risk of recurrence was 4 % with adjuvant Letrozole but 8% without it. I am on it for five years. Only three months in at this point. But I AM having side serious effects, especially impacting sleep and blood sugar (I am a type two diabetic) And for the first time I have protein in my urine. The Letrozole may not be sustainable long term. It can also cause heart problems.

Suzy Q . Bad or inadequate sleep will cause some very major health problems. It is worth prioritizing sleep health. The average age of death of an untreated sleep apneic is 62.

Sarah G… I am 74 yrs & l know sleep is imperative for good health. I take a nap each day now to make up for sleep. Not having good medical care here is pretty stressful, that does not aid in sleep or good health either. I take messures to address my sleep now, becoming a bit more at rest. Use magnesium, a tablespoon of olive oil with a squirt of lemon as well. Drink apple cider vinegar with a slice of lemon, cinnamon, ginger, & a small sprinkle of of cayenne pepper at times. Stir in a small bit of honey. This drink optimizes good health & prevents acid reflux. Afterwards I eat the 🍋 lemon. Have a friend with sleep apnea. She hates the machine they have her use.

Since I have the history of stroke & also ended up in emergency after a colonoscopy that uses lighter anesthesia(was told I could have died); they should therefore treat me with the safer anesthesia. Also found out they should provide an IV of glutathione the day prior of surgery. All patients obtain brain fog after having anesthesia meds, for some it last a few days, others it can last weeks, months, even a year. All patients should receive this treatment to prevent at the least severe brain fog. The glutathione makes the anesthesia med water soluble instead of fat soluble. That way the anesthesia med will release from your system right after surgery because it won’t stick to your fat. After researching all of this… our hospital does not care because it is not their policy procedure. This is why they will not change my MRI dye which nearly did me in because my body could not release it out of my system no matter how much water I drank. It is not standard hospital procedure to obtain a different dye. How is this good patient care when they ignore one’s current health issues.

Cherie S… my monotype was low. Slow growing cancer which does not respond well to chemo. Wish I could have a simpler lumpectomy… but they keep pushing the masectomy with silicone implants. I will not do that.

Sarah G… I now take my Letrozole at 4:00am in the morning. I have been sleeping better, but usually wake up around 4:00am. It does not seem to impact my sleep, but always have had a time falling asleep anyway… so it would be hard to tell.

Suzy Q. Many sleep apnea patients learn to love their machines, but many don’t. There ARE other treatments, including dental appliances, but PAP is still the gold standard. There are also implantable hypoglossal stimulators like Inspire and some people swear by those. What is a monotype?

Suzy Q. What stage was your cancer? Re my stage 1 IDC, MSK thought a lumpectomy followed by Letrozole for five years and close monitoring was the best course. I am seeking an integrative oncologist to help with the side effects.

Suzy Q. Clinical trials can be found at Clinicaltrials.gov There are many subtypes of breast cancer so treatments like mastectomy or lumpectomy, etc. may be different. You do not pay to be in a research trial. My breast cancer is ILC, invasive lobular. Get a second opinion consultation about options. So important.

I am on the same med. I had to have a bilateral mastectomy a couple months after the medication. the tumor was very deep so I have a incision that looks that goes across & down my incision opened up a week later and I had blood clots, seroma fluid & blood gushing out & my incision hasn’t closed yet. I’m a widow and alone & I don’t know what to do, I lost my mother to breast cancer & I was her caregiver so to say that impacted my life and my children lives one said “ i know someone who had cancer and they are fine it’s no big deal anymore devastated me.

Sarah G Stage 1 ILC. How are you being monitored?