Lupron and Cancer Risk: Exploring Potential Side Effects and Alternatives

Question
I was put on Lupron almost a 1 1/2 ago for endometriosis, a month later noticed a lump on my neck that was Stage IV positive. I want to know if Lupron causes breast cancer? I have read that it fuels endometriosis, and shouldn't be given to persons with a history of breast cancer in the immediate family. My doctor now wants to treat me with Zoladex which is the same as Lupron. I want to be compliant with my doctor's orders, but I want to live  most of all..... Please e-mail me back so I can have peace of mind.

Answer
Lupron works by stimulating the pituitary gland to produce stimulating hormones for the ovaries and testicles. That initially causes an increase of sex hormones(the so called flare) but after a short while it "tires" the pituitary so that less of these stimulating hormones are produced than normally and therefore also less sex hormones are produced in the ovaries and testicles than normally. That is the reason it is used in endometriosis (in spite of a SHORT stimulation period during the flare) and in the treatment of for example prostate cancer (decreasing the amounts of tumor stimulating testosterone after the short flare period). I have myself been treated with it together with a testosterone antagonist - in order to neutralize the flare period AND the testosterone produced by the adrenal glands - for my own prostate cancer both before and during my radiation therapy (the hormonal treatment increases the effect of the radiation therapy). The hormonal treatment (like a temporary chemical castration) was also necessary to decrease the size of my "old man enlarged" prostate to make it treatable by radiation and to keep my cancer under control in the meantime. IF your Lupron treatment was of ANY importance at all for your breast cancer it must have been during the short flare period. For the rest of the time you have had a lower production of estrogen etc. and therefore a lower risk of breast cancer. After all that is the reason why you were given it for your endometriosis. Since the flare period is short I doubt very much that it has been of any importance in your case. So I think you should follow the advice of your dr. who I think should have explained this in the first place!