Sometimes very difficult. 1poorlady has to choose between estrogen blockers (tamoxifen or exemestane). She’s been on exemestane, but she’s always achy and has difficulty getting up. Once she’s moving, she’s fine. Tamoxifen is supposed to be much better about that, but has its own complications. Which she may or may not experience, of course. But uterine cancer (one possible side effect) is pretty bad. No good choices, and it’s hard to tell which choice is less bad.
She just told me “why don’t they kill me quickly instead of slowly”.
I can’t tell you how many women I know who had been put on tamoxifen after surgery and radiation and found the side effects so intolerable they said forget it—even though it would have been for “only” 5 or 7 years. None of them had a recurrence of their cancer. So perhaps she would want to consider that alternative.
=sheila
If she tries tamoxifen and is comfortable with any side effects (my MIL had no complaints–she lived ~25 years post breast cancer), would a pre-emptive hysterectomy be advisable? Is that even done? Or are there ways to monitor and catch uterine cancer at stage 1? (Not knowledgeable in this area, just shooting from the hip-). Sorry you two have to deal with this. I guess nobody escapes middle/old age unscathed.