Break from ibrance

[Archiedog]

Evening all

I have thankfully been Ned since November 2021. My oncologist has today suggested that we consider me taking a break from ibrance in the near future . Has anyone who has been stable Ned had such a break and if so for how long and did you then resume ibrance when progression occurred.

Many thanks Helen

[hdhonda]

Helen,He is probably not suggesting a break until progression.

He will probably suggest a few weeks off to give your body a break. I have been on two weeks on/two weeks off since December. It has improved my energy.

Blessings and best wishes. Hannah

[Bettybuckets]

lucky you! Let us know how it all goes? We’re you diagnosed de novo?

[Zebra2018]

I am on IBRANCE since December 2018. On my last visit I asked my oncologist if I can get a vacation from it and he said may be I can skip a cycle but I need to continue faslodex. Hopefully it works for you please keep us posted

[Merma]

I have been NED since December, 2017. My dr is not keen on me taking an Ibrance vacation. The only times I’ve had a vacation from it was when my wbc were lower than normal for Ibrance and when I was hospitalized for blood clots. He was one of the drs that worked on the clinical trials and says there’s not enough evidence to support the vacation and does not want to change the 4 week schedule either.

He says that I have well-managed endometrial cancer.

It doesn’t really answer your question, but maybe it will help.

[Crazycocker]

Hi Archiedog,

I have been on Ibrance/letrozole combo since March 2020, and have stable CA15.3 markers of 32 to 33. I'm on a 3 weeks on/3 weeks off cycle as my neutrophils are floored. I was told that as I'm so stable I could miss an extra week off if I had a holiday or something planned that I wanted to be a bit stronger for. Hope that helps, good luck 🤞xx

[Totheriver]

I have been on ibrance/letrozole since 2019. It too about 8 months to get the combination right so my body could handle it. I M on 75 mg I ibrance. I had a month off in the spring of 2022 when we went to Florida for a month. I had no progression ecause of that and everything is still stable. Thinking of taking a month off this summer. Theresa

[Dragonfly2]

hi! I’m not entirely surprised to hear about a “vacation” from IBrance. It’s a powerful drug that has a significant impact on cell growth…especially bone marrow where blood cells are created. It was wreaking havoc on my body and I was struggling with neutropenia. Instead I researched a study about alternative dosing…I take it 5 days on and two days off. It’s been working well and I actually take more pills in a 35 day cycle than I had before when I was off for two weeks. ( hence the 35 days).

Your most important med in this battle is your aromatase inhibitor…faslodex or anastrozole or tamoxifen….that’s what starves the cancer of estrogen. So taking a vacation from IBrance is not so remarkable. Another interesting fact is that researchers are discovering that if the cancer is no longer sensitive to ibrance (progression), a vacation can trick it into responding again….

Good luck with your plans…but when the time comes to restart, do look into alternative dosing since the study has shown it is an effective way of taking IBrance while avoiding those debilitating side effects. ( you can search alternative dosing on this ste to find links) 🙏

[Dflur]

my oncologist said… I could… when I asked. I have been on ibrance since 2019,September.

With no progression. I did go off for 2-3 months for a hip replacement in 2021.

My doctors comment was only, it could cause the cancer to start growing again.