tomoxifin vs. arimedex?

dully2 · 06-03-2003, 08:34 PM

My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in February. She is finishing her radiation soon. Does anyone have any experience with tomoxifin or arimedex? Arimedex is the newer drug. She is trying to decide between the two. Seems there are good and bad points for both. Thanks for any info you may have.

[This message has been edited by dully2 (edited 06-04-2003).]

klayr · 06-04-2003, 02:13 AM

I am on Arimidex, which my oncologist says is very effective. Tamoxifen has certain side effects that were a concern for me. The first one was that I had had a pulmonary embolism right after my cancer surgery. If you have a higher risk for that, Arimidex is better. Also, Tamoxifen is rougher on people with heart-related problems. How old is your mom? Is her general health good? Another factor, of course, is what type of tumor she had, and if she is postmenopausal. Arimidex will only be prescribed if she has gone through menopause. Hope this is helpful.

dully2 · 06-04-2003, 03:01 PM

My mom is post menopausal. She did not have any complications. Have you had any side effects with Arimidex and how long do you have to take it? Thanks!

klayr · 06-04-2003, 05:57 PM

Hi! Hope your mom is doing well with her treatment. I am going to take Arimidex for five years, and I think that's standard for both drugs. I'm not a doctor, so don't quote me on that. I have a friend who's on Tamoxifen, and she does well on it. I think both drugs (only knowing my story and hers) are similar in side effects: hot flashes, a little fatigue, but generally, life as normal after about a week's worth of adjusting. I got a little nausea for the first week or so, but then I settled in. One thing my oncologist did say was that Arimidex works especially well on microcalicifications on the unaffected side. We'll see, because they just discovered some on me. I'll be curious to find out how well.

dully2 · 06-04-2003, 08:12 PM

My mom's story is interesting to say the least. After having a biopsy and lumpectomy on the right side, they detected an area in her other breast. Two radiologists thought is was nothing, a third said it was suspicious. She ended up having surgery and it was cancerous. All lymphs were negative and both areas were small. So she is currently having radiation to both breasts. We have no family history of breast cancer, so we are learning as we go. My mom is 65. How old are you? Thanks for writing back.

[This message has been edited by dully2 (edited 06-04-2003).]