Hi Penlan,

A very warm welcome to our forum.

I am sorry to hear of your recent diagnosis and subsequent issues with treatment. It is all very complex and can be daunting. Not everyone gets the side-effects you refer to and the consultants cannot predict who will and who won't. Are you really ready to throw in the towel without a fight? I'm not saying that the journey is plain sailing, but it is doable.

I have had 2 bouts of breast cancer in the past 12 years. I have had a lumpectomy and a double mastectomy without reconstruction and I am eternally grateful that I am still here. I am now 72 and I have been fortunate enough to witness so many family milestones in that time - milestones that I never thought that I would see.

Devastating as it is to lose your hair, this is only a temporary blip and it will grow back. You are unlikely to lose all of your hair with Letrozole, although it can become a little thinner. Please excuse me for being so blunt, but, in the big scheme of things, is this not better than losing your life?

The decision has to be yours and yours alone, but please think carefully before you decide.

Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hello and thank you for posting

Treatments for cancer can be difficult to cope with and everyone will deal with these effects in different ways. Chemotherapy can be challenging and as you say hair loss is something that many people do find very difficult to cope with.

The benefits of treatments are always weighed up against any risks and these treatments are given as past research has shown that they offer people the best chance of managing their cancer. Inevitably, side effects can be such that some people do not find it possible to continue with treatments.

All treatments will unfortunately have some side effects, but until you start, there is no way of knowing whether you will be affected by any of them. Some people find that letrozole is very 'doable', others that they may get aching joints but no other symptoms and others may get more side effects - the range does vary hugely. 

I'm sure that you have already had a conversation with your breast specialist and possibly breast care nurse about your decisions and I should imagine that they may be encouraging you to try the letrozole.

You can always stop the letrozole after you have tried them for a number of months , or there are different tablets that you can take, bearing in mind that although there are side effects with those too, some people  may find them easier to cope with.

There's no easy answers in making these decisions , especially as other than your hospital team, no one can really advise you . I hope that you are able to come to a decision you feel comfortable with and if you would like to talk things through with one of the nurses here on the helpline, please do give us a ring - the number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

All the best

Wanda