[1rarebird]

Rachel---Almost exactly a year before you will start this trial I declined it. I had almost the exact same tumor type, stage and aggressiveness as you report. My reason for declining it then was the higher cardiac toxicity risk I would get by receiving Adriamycin as part of the chemo that was beginning required at the time . (I understand that the safer TC chemo regimen is now being accepted by the trial.)

But if I knew then as much as I do now about how the Her2 receptor can transmit its growth signals to the cancer cell's nucleus, I would have been jumping for the chance to receive Tykerb. I believe you could come to that same conclusion as you learn more about Her2 and the tyrosine kinase inhibitors, Tykerb and Neratinib. Read as much as you can on this and I believe you will feel more comfortable with your decision. Also, keep in mind that Herceptin would likely never be denied you in the future should the disease progress--but it shouldn't. We may all find one of these days that Tykerb becomes the first-line therapy for early-stage Her2+ breast cancer, equal to or surpassing Herceptin.

Now the side effects profile for Tykerb could be more severe for you than Herceptin would be, but you will be getting a very powerful Her2 blockade as a trade off, as well as be getting a drug that passes through the blood brain barrier. That is very important.

Good luck to you and thank you for being in this trial.
bird