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Julie - I can answer that question as I have been going back and forth with Patty on it. Yes, they do require a LH/FSH test. I asked what the problem was and she said that the vaccine can be passed through the placenta and they want to make sure you can't have more children. Right now I'm on zoladex shots for 5 years (I'm 35), and my assumption is that if I pass this test, I qualify for the vaccine. Even though theoretically I could get my periods back. Not sure I want to get my ovaries out just for the vaccine....I may consider doing it for my breast cancer (I'm slightly PR+). I mentally know I need to be done with kids, but it still makes me sad....ovary removal just seems so permanent, even though I know more kids are not in the cards for me. Hope that helps!
Actually, here is her exact response (I asked why it was not required to be past childbearing to get herceptin, but you had to for the vaccine):
"The vaccine is not Herceptin based, rather it is a HER-2 (neu) plasmid-based DNA vaccine. Not being of childbearing ability is an eligibility criterion because we, in addition to the FDA, do not want patients to become pregnant post-vaccine. All subjects must no longer be able to bear children because HER2 is overexpressed in normal fetus tissues. Therefore, induction of long-term immunity to overexpressed HER2 could affect the viability of a future fetus."
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