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RobinP · 12-04-2005, 07:45 AM

CLTANN,

Thank you for your response. I know that Christine, Joe's wife, had a relapse of a small her2+ that was only just over 1cm after 9 years of DFS. Obviously, breast cancer is not a disease that is considered cured after 4 years, particularly her2+ breast cancer. Yes, it is more likely to relapse sooner; however, that does not preclude it from relapseing later, as in Christine's case. Also, my oncologist's sister relapsed with her+ breast cancer for a 1-2 cm breast cancer after 11 years of DFS.

Yes, I agree that you must keep your immmune system in top notch shape with an excellent diet etc. to help fight any disease. However, no matter how healthy you are, HER+ breast cancer can and has relapsed in healthy individuals. Therefore, it must be treated appropriately. Herceptin is very specific treatment for a very specific type of cancer HER2+. Herceptin has been proven to increase DFS in early stage her2+ bc patients as evident in the HERA trail. Later, treatment with Herceptin in the metastatic population is less effective at only 25%. Therefore, early treatment with Herceptin is appropriate in the adjuvant setting and should be considered after adjuvant treatment prior to a relapse as suggested by the PI of the HER trail, Edith Perez.

According to Larry Norton, a leading breast oncologist at the pestigious Memorial Sloan Kettering, Herceptin after adjuvant treatment is appropriate and has little cardic toxicity. Cardiac function should be monitored while on Herceptin. Yes, it would be nice if we had a lot of very data on the side effects of Herceptin. But we don't. However, we do know we could relapse at anytime with cancer. So what prevents us from trying to delay that uncertain relapse when the evidential risk of cardiac damage is minimal at least in the short run and apparently even longer as evident by the use of long term Herceptin in the metastatic population. Anyway, I suppect that the cardiac damage will be much less in the adjuvant setting than the metastatic setting as Herceptin is used more frequently and longer in the later.

12-04-2005, 07:45 AM	#14
RobinP Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 943	What?????????????????????????????? CLTANN, Thank you for your response. I know that Christine, Joe's wife, had a relapse of a small her2+ that was only just over 1cm after 9 years of DFS. Obviously, breast cancer is not a disease that is considered cured after 4 years, particularly her2+ breast cancer. Yes, it is more likely to relapse sooner; however, that does not preclude it from relapseing later, as in Christine's case. Also, my oncologist's sister relapsed with her+ breast cancer for a 1-2 cm breast cancer after 11 years of DFS. Yes, I agree that you must keep your immmune system in top notch shape with an excellent diet etc. to help fight any disease. However, no matter how healthy you are, HER+ breast cancer can and has relapsed in healthy individuals. Therefore, it must be treated appropriately. Herceptin is very specific treatment for a very specific type of cancer HER2+. Herceptin has been proven to increase DFS in early stage her2+ bc patients as evident in the HERA trail. Later, treatment with Herceptin in the metastatic population is less effective at only 25%. Therefore, early treatment with Herceptin is appropriate in the adjuvant setting and should be considered after adjuvant treatment prior to a relapse as suggested by the PI of the HER trail, Edith Perez. According to Larry Norton, a leading breast oncologist at the pestigious Memorial Sloan Kettering, Herceptin after adjuvant treatment is appropriate and has little cardic toxicity. Cardiac function should be monitored while on Herceptin. Yes, it would be nice if we had a lot of very data on the side effects of Herceptin. But we don't. However, we do know we could relapse at anytime with cancer. So what prevents us from trying to delay that uncertain relapse when the evidential risk of cardiac damage is minimal at least in the short run and apparently even longer as evident by the use of long term Herceptin in the metastatic population. Anyway, I suppect that the cardiac damage will be much less in the adjuvant setting than the metastatic setting as Herceptin is used more frequently and longer in the later. __________________ Robin 2002- dx her2 positive DCIS/bc TX Mast, herceptin chemo Last edited by RobinP; 12-04-2005 at 01:09 PM..