I was diagnosed Stage 1A, had the lumpectomy which removed 1.4cm tumor with clean margins. I started on Anastrozole but it caused crippling joint pains. Dr switched me to Letrozole with same results. Not only knee joint pains so great that I had to use a walker but also crippling hand pain so I had a problem using a fork and knife! I asked my Dr what my on o score was...it is low, a 9. And what the recurrence percentage in 5 years would be...again, low, 6% if no drugs taken. 3% if I took the Anastrozole or letrozole. I tried adding Claritin but it did not reduce the joint problems. So I decided to have faith in my statistic of 94% chance of remaining tumor free for 5 years. At age 76 that made the most sense to me.

In my perspective, ending treatment is not giving up. It’s a very personal decision regarding what quality of life means to an individual. For myself, I’d put up with annoying & somewhat challenging side effects IF they’re manageable & I’m seeing positive results. If I’m able to live my life the way I want and need to that’s one thing; but, if I’m in pain, can’t take care of myself and my “life” is bedridden with constant nursing care, I’m done. No amount of cancer meds will change that particular scenario but if whatever cancer med a person is taking (be it target therapy, chemo, radiation, immunotherapy, etc) has the potential to make a difference, I’d continue with it on a schedule & dosage I could handle, not what the protocol may be. With that being said, even if a person decided to stop treatment that appeared to be working simply because they didn’t want to do it anymore, that’s their decision and it should be supported🙂

I agree with what you said @A MyBCTeam Member . Everyone has their own breaking point. I think women who have families probably have a more difficult time if the woman announces she is ending treatment. When it comes down to that time, I am not telling my adult children I have ended treatment. I will just let them know my scans are showing its not good.

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A MyBCTea...

I don't think those of us who are not at that point have any right to judge someone else's decision. I watched a video the other night about an 8 year old girl with cancer. She had fought it once but it came back and her mother asked her what she wanted to do. Her answer was, "I choose heaven over chemo." She just didn't want to go through another year of treatment. And her parents honored her wishes though it was difficult for them. I knew another woman who was in her 90s who fought to the bitter end. It is a personal decision and we should honor whatever that decision is. Stopping treatment when it is negatively impacting what time you have left and there is no hope of really winning the battle is an individual and very personal choice. I don't know what I would choose. I'm not there. I know that my late husband who had pancreatic cancer, chose to stop treatment after two years and just accepted what was going to happen eventually anyway. Giving up sounds like being weak and a quitter. He was very, very brave in making his decision. It takes a lot of courage to make that decision.

It’s a very personal and difficult decision to quit a treatment plan. With me, the side effects of estrogen blockers were more than I am willing to suffer. I was told chemo and radiation were not options for my stage one IDC. I chose a mastectomy to reduce the chance of recurrence. I have yet to get a consistent percentage of getting cancer again. Initially, I was told my chances were low. At my last visit I was told it now up to a 50/50% chance. Does that mean three years of crippling misery made things worse or does my onco-team even have a clue?

I was not tolerating the estrogen blockers so was put on another bone density builder. I reduced the dosage and frequency and feel better, but don’t know of the efficacy to this approach. If there is any positive effect I will try to make it to the 5-year goal. Otherwise, I am ready to quit. When the treatment is more damaging than the disease, why subject one’s self to unnecessary torment?