Breast Cancer Coalition’s Unique Aromatase Inhibitor Program Empowers Participants Through Education and Support
Rochester, NY – The Breast Cancer Coalition’s Surviving & Thriving on Aromatase Inhibitors program is an offering unique to the organization. An evidence-based program, it was created for individuals with an estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer diagnosis prescribed (or who may be prescribed) an aromatase inhibitor as part of their cancer treatment. This four-week session is professionally facilitated and is offered four times a year.
Approximately 80% of breast cancer cases are estrogen-receptor positive, meaning the cancer feeds off estrogen to grow (Source: Breast Cancer Research Foundation). An aromatase inhibitor is a class of medication that works to deplete the body of estrogen, commonly prescribed for five or ten years to reduce the risk of recurrence for estrogen-receptor positive breast cancers. However, the drastic reduction in estrogen can lead to side effects that can have impacts on activities of daily life and quality of life. Such side effects include extreme fatigue, joint pain, hot flashes, difficulty sleeping and a reduction in bone density.
Each week of the Coalition’s Surviving & Thriving on Aromatase Inhibitors series focuses on a different topic relating to education, support, movement and nutrition. Martha Neubert, retired oncology and medical social worker, is one of the program’s facilitators. “The participants in the program are educated about the etiology and purpose of taking their hormone blocker, and they are taught holistic strategies inclusive of isometric and various stretching exercises to counteract arthralgia and other side effects,” Neubert said. “… [participants] are empowered by the experience of sharing with others who are also taking aromatase inhibitors, so they do not feel isolated and alone.”
A past participant shared her experience with the program: "The Surviving & Thriving on Aromatase Inhibitors program is exceptionally well-designed, and the instructors are amazing. The knowledge I gained about side effect management, movement to help with joint pain and nutrition was invaluable. It was also incredibly meaningful to make connections. This course provided the exact stepping stones and support system I needed to confidently continue navigating my cancer journey," she said.
To learn more about the Surviving & Thriving on Aromatase Inhibitors program, including upcoming offerings of the series, email info@bccr.org or call (585) 473-8177.