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Is It Safe Taking Arimidex?
Just a little about me. I m 62, 100 percent estrogen positive, 17 lymph nodes positive, bilateral mast, and cancer has returned sitting on the bones. I m taking tamoxifen and arimidex IM. I ve read nothing but negative things about arimidex. I don t want to have further health issues where I can t care for myself and spouse, who has polio. Do you think this is the drug of choice?
posted on
Sat, 5 Apr 2014
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Fri, 24 Mar 2017
Answered on
Mon, 27 Mar 2017
Last reviewed on
It is a hormone blocker. It is closer to a birth control pill than to chemotherapy. As such it's side effects are not the usual hair falling out, gut dying off, no blood being made, near-fatal effects of cytotoxic chemotherapy.
BUT
it only works if the cancer has a dependence on estrogen. If the cancer needs estrogen to grow/live, this medicine works and blocks it. If the cancer is estrogen receptor negative and does not need estrogen this medicine will not do anything.
BUT
it only works if the cancer has a dependence on estrogen. If the cancer needs estrogen to grow/live, this medicine works and blocks it. If the cancer is estrogen receptor negative and does not need estrogen this medicine will not do anything.
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