08/16/2026
Part 4 about Suzanne Somers - this is in response to all of the misinformed people claiming “she chose a quality of life over quantity of life” self treating her breast cancer with pseudoscience and bioidentical hormones and dying of a likely curable low risk ER/PR+ cancer at 77.
Yes hormone blocking pills have side effects. However they help people with hormone receptor positive breast cancers live longer AND with overall a good quality of life long term. Most side effects such as mood changes, cognitive effects, and hot flashes stop when treatment ends. Bone loss can be persistent as well as low libido, vaginal dryness (which can be safely treated with vaginal estrogen cream), fatigue, and weight gain. One study reported persistent joint pain. The majority of my patients have been able to manage the side effects and some have experienced no side effects. Aromatase inhibitors reduce the recurrence of hormone receptors positive breast cancers by 40-50% (not the 3% absolute benefit misinformed people are quoting).
None of my patients have to dedicate all of their waking hours to injecting themselves with vitamins, taking daily infusions, swallowing 60+ pills, and and still try to find time to eat right and exercise to stay alive. None of them have to put on an act on live TV and pretend they are not exhausted from the treatment they chose or not terrified their breast cancer will return. Sometimes they have to redefine what life looks like after breast cancer, but they are able to have fulfilling, rich lives which is my hope for everyone diagnosed with breast cancer.
PMIDs:
36418518
38561578
38180765