It is not so much knowing how long it takes to start working, which is
probably pretty immediately, but how long before it has a noticeable
effect, or more importantly, a noticeable failure.  What they are
looking for is any evidence of advancement of the disease - more
tumours, larger tumours, skeletal damage, increasing pain, markers
continuing to increase, etc.

At stage IV, if the treatment is stabilising the disease, and halting
its advance, then that is considered acceptable for the moment.

I think if the disease was continuing to progress after a two or three
months they would want to try something else.

Tim Jackson

Greta,

I chose to go on Arimidex rather than do weekly taxol for my lung mets.
I have some lymph nodes at the base of my neck that feel like  they're
pea sized that I keep feeling to see if they're still detectable. So far
they are but the onc. said it would probably be about 4 months before
there would be noticeable improvement I could detect. I started the
Arimidex about 2 months ago (Sept. 1st). She said if more immediate
improvement is the goal then chemo is the best choice.

I'll be happy to stay stabilized at minimum and feel better, which I do.
As Tim says, sometimes you knock the tumors out in one place and they
soon pop up in another. If things don't get worse or spread further I'll
consider the Arimidex working.

Kathie

i'm sorry to hear this greta.  i was really hoping you're work up wouldn't
turn out like mine did.  so, here we are.  stage 4 isn't so bad though.
it's doable.
you're doing the same treatment as i am.  it's been working for me for one
year (yesterday was my anniversary of diagnosis).  by working i mean that
many of my tumors have either stabilized or disappeared, and so far i have
no new stuff.  it was a pretty immediate thing.  within 3 weeks  my tumor
markers dropped by 50%.  then another 50% drop a month later, and so on for
the first 3 or so months.  my ca 27-29 then settled around 20 or so and has
stayed there ever since.  it was originally 247.  this has been accompanied
by a reduction in pain and a better quality of life.
one thing i will warn you about is possible "flare".  it's an immediate
increase in symptoms that sometimes happens at the very beginning of
treatment.  don't let it throw you.  it will go away pretty quickly as the
treatment begins to really do it's work.
other than that, this treatment isn't so bad.  a few aches and pains should
be about it.  this was an important concern to me also - the quality of life
issue.
i hope that you do well with this.  i know a woman here who is stage 4 and
has been stabilized on this treatment for over 3 years.  she is another one
of my onc's patients.  it's encouraging.
hang in there.

-christina