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To Whom It May Concern:
I never thought I’d talk about my period so publicly, but I’m eager to share my experience because I had a hard time finding info on breakthrough bleeding in breast cancer thrivers on hormone therapy.
I receive monthly Lupron injections, which chemically shut down my ovaries. However, in December, I had a very light 5-day period.
Here’s a high level overview of the information I gathered based on my personal experience:
Breakthrough Bleeding
Spotting or bleeding at a time you’re not expecting your period
Cause
My doctors told me it was inconclusive, and there’s no definitive answer for breakthrough bleeding while on endocrine therapy.
Ultrasound
I had a routine pelvic ultrasound done right before I experienced breakthrough bleeding, so my care team wanted me to wait until Feb to do another one. My transvaginal scans just came back, and my results were normal.
Blood Test
My oncologist ordered blood tests to check my hormone levels, but there were no abnormalities.
Emotions
I freaked out for a few days, and my mind went to a really dark place.
Reassurance
My oncologist reassured me of 3 things:
(1) Breakthrough bleeding is a possibility
(2) This happened to a few of her other patients
(3) This is NOT related to cancer returning
Adherence
I never missed a monthly Lupron since my very first one in 2020.
Currently
My period has not returned. It was just that 1 random occurrence. My tamoxifen and lupron regimens have not been modified.
Takeaway 1
After discussing further with a few breasties about their experiences, there was 1 common thread – we wish we were educated on this topic when we first started endocrine therapy because we were really caught off guard.
Takeaway 2
In the rare case breakthrough bleeding happens to you, please consult your care team, but also, I hope you feel less alone and less worried.
Breast regards,
Michelle
