No chemo, no herceptin and NO SIGN OF CANCER two years on!

[mcgle]

Some of you may remember me posting about my rather anomalous HER2+ diagnosis (weakly FISH positive), strongly ER+/PR+ and with good prognostic indicators.

So I had surgery, rads and tamoxifen. For a long while I wondered whether I should have had chemo and herceptin.

Yesterday, I had my two-year post-op mammogram and ultrasound and heard those wonderful words, NO SIGN OF CANCER! I think I now have to start believing that receiving neither chemo nor herceptin was probably the right decision.

At last, I feel the cloud lifting ...

Mcgle (UK)

[Becky]

Congratulations on reaching this important mile marker.

[CLTann]

I made the same decision more than two years ago. The two year marker is very significant for us. After 24 months, the rate of recurrence will go down. Actually, for HER2 patients, the peak recurrence is around 12 to 16 months since the HER2 cancer is more aggressive. So, we do have a reason for celebration. Congratulation.

[tricia keegan]

Congrats to you...I had chemo rads herceptin ..the works and still cancer free, so far, and appreciate each day I don't worry!!

[Chelee]

mcgle, Congratulations on being two years out and NED. I'm glad you finally feel the cloud lifting..that's half the battle. ENJOY!

Chelee

[AlaskaAngel]

Making choices is so darn difficult with this disease! Thanks for sharing the reality of the delightful news of your anniversary, and may there be many, many more!

AlaskaAngel

[nitewind]

Can someone tell me if the two years out is two years after diagnosis or two years after all treatment?
thanks and hugs

[PinkGirl]

Nitewind,

I know this one, because Becky told me!

Your anniversary date is the date of your surgery.

[nitewind]

Thanks for the quick response pink! In that case I am 16 monthes out!
Hugs

[Hopeful]

Congratulations, mcgle! I had herceptin but no chemo; now take an AI. The best advice I got was from my internist, who told me there was no right and wrong choices, to do the research, make the decision and not look back. It is good to see more of us in the "no chemo" camp reaching these milestones. Many, many more NED years to you!

Hopeful

[Vanessa]

Congratulations on your good news!

[Jean]

mcgle,
Wishing you congratulations on your 2 year anniversary! As I always say,
I wish you 2 X 2 X 22 more years....and then some.

Hugs,
jean

[janet/FL]

Congratulations!
I turned down AC but did do Taxotere/Herceptin as soon as I could get it, which was about a year after diagnosis. I am now three years out and NED. So far so good. I know we all wonder about our choices and can only try to make those that seem right for ourselves. I do seem to be still experiencing, "chemo brain". Could be from current stress but I often feel as cloudy as I did on steroids and Taxotere. Perhaps less drugs would have been better? No one knows.

[mcgle]

Thanks for your replies, ladies.

Chemo would have given me a 0.8% benefit, and herceptin another 0.8%. With those percentages, it made sense not to bombard my body with these treatments, but there was always that niggle ...

Our greatest friend is NED, and long may he be so!

Mcgle (UK)

[Petesmom]

Congratulations! I also did not have chemo or hercepton and reached my 2 year mark back in March of this year. All the best to you.

Petesmom

[StillHere]

I think Hopeful's doc has it right. There are no right or wrong treatments. In hind-sight I may have done things different, but you have to go with the information you have to work with at the time of your decision. Congrats on your anniversary! Wishing you and everyone one else here many, many more to come. Peace Karen

[mcgle]

Thanks again.

Interesting that there are a fair few of us who escaped chemo / herceptin. I understand herceptin only really works if you are strongly HER2+, so it probably wouldn't have done for me.

Mcgle (UK)

[jones7676]

Congratulations - I wish you 20 years or more of a cancerless state!

[Hopeful]

mcgle,

I am about ready to leave for work so can't search for the studies right now, but there was some evidence presented at last year's San Antonio conference, I believe, that Herceptin was effective for a group of patients not strongly Her2+, which perplexed the researchers. When I get a chance, I'll add the link. Combined with the fact that there are women who are strongly Her2+ for whom Herceptin does not work, it just means that Her2+ isn't the be all and end all for who responds to Herceptin - there are other factors involved in response that remain undiscovered.

Here is a link to a NY Times article about it: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/12/health/12canc.html?n=Top/News/Health/Diseases,%20Conditions,%20and%20Health%20Topics/Tumors

Nonethless, you have done splendidly, and have every reason for optimism for your future.

Hopeful

[mcgle]

Thank you, Hopeful. That makes fascinating, if confusing reading!

As you say, there are other factors, yet undiscovered, which must come into play.

Mcgle (UK)

[Carol H.]

I'm so excited to hear from you and others that they have made it to the two year mark! I to declined chemo and herceptin. I'm always wondering if I made the right choice for myself concerning treatment. I just made it to my one year mark, I know it's too early for me to know. I pray everyday for my two years to be NEDS. I check this site daily, without your knowledge and love I would have been like a deer in headlights for the last year. Carol H.

[mcgle]

Pleased things are going well for you, Carol. I agree about this site - we all learn so much here.

My FISH score was similar to yours (2.71), though I am ER+/PR+.

Don't forget to carry on with the five-a-day plus 30 mins of brisk walking - apparently reduces our risk of recurrence by half!

I am also a firm believer in flaxseed being a natural inhibitor of HER2+ breast cancer.

My best wishes to you.

Mcgle (UK)