HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - What's the difference between HER2 and HER3

chrisy · 09-14-2012, 09:51 PM

Her2
Is part of a family of growth factors which send signals to the call to grow. In her2positive cancer, the cancer cells basically have too many copies of the Her2.

There are 4 members of the family - Her 1,2,3 and 4. So Her2 is a relative of Her3. Like all families, they talk to each other. It's not fully known how communication within that family works, and which relationships are most important in terms of cancer growth, but there is much research going on in this area.

The talks Brenda references by Dr Osborne are built on research that, in test tubes and mice anyway, blocking ALL the growth pathways ( including the Her family as well as some other known pathways) would effectively shut down the cancer. Hurry up on that one, please!

09-14-2012, 09:51 PM	#5
chrisy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Central Coast, CA Posts: 3,207	Re: What's the difference between HER2 and HER3 Her2 Is part of a family of growth factors which send signals to the call to grow. In her2positive cancer, the cancer cells basically have too many copies of the Her2. There are 4 members of the family - Her 1,2,3 and 4. So Her2 is a relative of Her3. Like all families, they talk to each other. It's not fully known how communication within that family works, and which relationships are most important in terms of cancer growth, but there is much research going on in this area. The talks Brenda references by Dr Osborne are built on research that, in test tubes and mice anyway, blocking ALL the growth pathways ( including the Her family as well as some other known pathways) would effectively shut down the cancer. Hurry up on that one, please! __________________ Chris in Scotts Valley June 2002 extensive hi grade DCIS (pre-cancer-stage 0, clean sentinal node) Mastectomy/implant - no chemo, rads. "cured?" 9/2004 Diag: Stage IV extensive liver mets (!) ER/PR- Her2+++ 10/04-3/05 Weekly Taxol/Carboplatin/Herceptin , complete response! 04/05 - 4/07 Herception every 3 wks, Continue NED 04/07 - recurrence to liver - 2 spots, starting tykerb/avastin trial 06/07 8/07 10/07 Scans show stable, continue on Tykerb/Avastin 01/08 Progression in liver 02/08 Begin (TDM1) trial 08/08 NED! It's Working! Continue on TDM1 02/09 Continue NED 02/10 Continue NED. 5/10 9/10 Scans NED 10/10 Scans NED 12/10 Scans not clear....4/11 Scans suggest progression 6/11 progression confirmed in liver 07/11 - 11/11 Herceptin/Xeloda -not working:( 12/11 Begin MM302 Phase I trial - bust:( 03/12 3rd times the charm? AKT trial 5/12 Scan shows reduction! 7/12 More reduction!!!! 8/12 Whoops...progression...trying for Perjeta/Herceptin (plus some more nasty chemo!) 9/12 Start Perjeta/Herceptin, chemo on hold due to infection/wound in leg, added on cycle 2 &3 11/12 Poops! progression in liver, Stop Perjeta/Taxo/Herc 11/12 Navelbine/Herce[ptin - try for a 3 cycles, no go. 2/13 Gemzar/Carbo/Herceptin - no go. 3/13 TACE procedure