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I think today, anyone would get everything if only because of the HER+ factor.
In the dark ages--1999, I was told I could chose a lumptectomy or a mastectomy. I chose the later feeling that was a surer idea and I was about to move to France so this was daignosis was all a big shock and really bad timing - isn't it always!. I had read about Herceptin and kept asking about it but every doctor said not for you because you just have DCIS. they also said I was cured and that with the mastectomy nothing else was needed.
I moved to France and 3 years later noticed a lump in the breast that was removed, it was taken out and i was told it wasn't cancer, however another lump came in the same spot 2 years later and so everyone was sure it wouldn't be cancer. nothing showed up as suspicious on mammograms or sonograms but I asked for it to be removed - it was cancerous and my cancer was now outside the breast. Then after several surgeries, I had chemo and herceptin (still on Herceptin) and radiation and then started on Femara (still on it). Even when they knew from the biopsy where my cancer was, they couldn't see it on a mammo or sonogram and an MRI showed inflammation but still didn't look like cancer!!! Consequently, I'm more confident about Herceptin and Femara than I am about tests but everyone agrees I'm an odd case.
Reading one of the SABC reports it sounds like newbies should get Zometa with the chemo for better protection as well of course as Herceptin.
Every year brings more hope to all of us. We're lucky that it's such a well researched and profitable disease so better drugs keep coming out.
hugs and love
sarah
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