I have been taking Femara for 8 1/2 years and will continue until it stops working for me. Is?

I was on fermara for 10 years. My first doctor said I may be taking for the rest of my life. I had to change to another doctor. She took me off the fermara. Less than a year I have stage 4 breast cancer which is in my bones and lungs.

I started on Femara in 2004 and was having terrible bone aches and flu-like symptoms and asked at the 3-4 year point when I could come off it. My Onc-Doc wanted me to stay for the 5 years (that was recommended by FDA) but when I asked why 5 years? He said it's because at 5 years that's when they "approved" it and their data stopped. Hmm...
So, with that in mind - I would say, keep taking anything preventative as long as you can for as long as you can tolerate it and as long the pros outweigh the cons. I've grown terribly fond of the whole aging thing - even with all the aches, pains, and stiffness - and am still tickled pink to have the chance to get older. N'cest pas?

Like you I have been on Femara close to 9 years and looking for info on continuing the med. Because of metastases I am considered high risk. See my oncologist in early March and hope she allows me to continue the med. Last year she has told me if I stop the Femara my body will make enough estrogen that if there is a cancer lurking and waiting, the estrogen will be enough to cause a problem. This is a worry. Is it better to worry about whether the length of time you take Femara can cause trouble or worry every day about whether a cancer cell and estrogen have linked up. Wish somewhere there were some research to give us some answers. Wish you luck.

Welcome to the site, lzs! I'm hearing more and more often now that for some types of cancer, the patients remain on "maintenance" drugs to keep their cancer at bay. You must stay on Femara, and I must stay on IgG infusions and a bone builder for multiple myeloma. Like you, I will stay on those meds for life. I don't know about you, but although weekly infusions are a nuisance, I feel blessed that science has developed these meds/treatments to keep our cancers from growing. In January, I will be a 10-year survivor of an incurable cancer. A couple of meds are nothing considering the alternative. Wouldn't you agree? You and I are among the fortunate ones!
Best wishes to you!
Kathy