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Stop Arimidex to avoid side effects?

Page last modified on: April 22, 2009
Question from Taton: Should any patient consider not taking Arimidex any more even though the five-year period is not complete just to avoid or try to diminish the medication side effects? Are there any new studies that may refer to shortening the time period of five years and have good results?
Answers —Patricia Ganz, M.D.: This is an interesting question, but it's really not on target for our discussion tonight, which is about changes in memory with cancer treatment.
Marisa Weiss, M.D., president and founder: We will provide links and content within Breastcancer.org to help you answer this question.

Editor's note: There are no data yet that can tell us whether taking Arimidex for less than five years has the same protective benefit as taking it for five years, although this is currently being studied. If you find that it's difficult to manage the side effects of hormonal therapy, ask your doctor about management strategies, or possibly switching to another type of hormonal therapy.
Patricia Ganz, M.D.: One of the questions is whether Arimidex has any association with memory. In my clinical experience I have not seen women report memory change with Arimidex, but that does not mean it is not an issue. I do think it is an important question and I will be starting a study in the near future that will hopefully begin to answer this question.

On Wednesday, August 16, 2006, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Thinking and Memory Challenges. Patricia A. Ganz, M.D. and  moderator Marisa Weiss, M.D. answered your questions about the memory and concentration challenges that can happen during and after breast cancer treatment.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Patricia A. Ganz, M.D.Patricia A. Ganz, M.D. is a medical oncologist and a professor in the schools of medicine and public health at UCLA, and is director of the division of cancer prevention and control research at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center there.

Marisa Weiss, M.D. is a radiation oncologist specializing in breast cancer and the founder, president, and guiding force behind Breastcancer.org.

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