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Printed June 18, 2013 from http://www.cancer.net/publications-and-resources/what-know-ascos-guidelines/what-know-ascos-guideline-hormonal-therapy-hormone-receptor-positive-breast-cancer/questions-ask-doctor

Questions to Ask the Doctor

For women who are considering adjuvant hormonal therapy:

  • Is my breast cancer hormone receptor-positive or hormone receptor-negative? What does this mean?
  • How many years of adjuvant hormonal therapy do I need?
  • Are there any reasons to believe I might not benefit from adjuvant hormonal therapy?
  • What are the benefits and risks of AIs?
  • What are the benefits and risks of tamoxifen?
  • How do the side effects of AIs compare with tamoxifen?

For women who were premenopausal when diagnosed

  • What is my menopausal status now, and how does this affect my options for adjuvant treatment?

For women who have completed two to three years of either tamoxifen or AI therapy:

  • Is there a reason I should switch to a different hormonal therapy?
  • How many more years of hormonal therapy do I need if I continue to take my current hormonal therapy? If I switch to a different hormonal therapy?
  • How will the side effects change if I switch to a different hormonal therapy?

For women who have completed five years of either tamoxifen or AI therapy:

  • Do you recommend further hormonal therapy? If so, with what drug and how long would I continue treatment?
  • If I start a different drug, what are the possible side effects?