[kat in the delta]

Maryanne or Harrie,
Are you one in the same ...or were 2 people on the Hercptin/Tykerb site ?- just wondering.
In that article, I read that of the people with Her2 Positive BC,only 8 % DID NOT / DID have that Topo II genetic factor. Do you know if More " DO" have the Topel IIgene?? --which means they WOULD have to take the ADRIAMYCIN CHEMOTHERAPY ??
I know Adriamy. can caused 5 times the amount of HEART damage,when followed by HERCEPTIN. If your heart's LVF is less than 50 or drops 15 pts, Herceptin should not be given for FEAR of MORE HEART DAMAGE, which if not fixed , could result in a "QUALITY of LIFE" issue. I just read the Package Insert of HERCEPTIN under: "Warnings".-
I did not know this when I was taking it, and never looked at the package insert until NOW after all my treatments are done. I guess I thought the Onc. knew this. I did ask ?'s and even asked several times for my Onc to give me another heart scan- the last months when I was ON HERCEPTIN, but he said I did not need anymore scans..and I always got the same answer: " ARE YOU worried that your cancer is coming back?" I would always anwer, "Yes." Then, my Onc.'s response was always :
"Don't worry...YOU worry too much !!" . ,
I should have switched immediately, but my husband got MAD if I said one negative remark about this Oncologist. My Oncologist NEVER gave me a heart test at the END of my Herceptin Treatments !!! This Oncologist Never mentioned my Heart at all when I complained of pain and showed him the blotchy brown spots on my swollen ankles.. One of the only 2 nurses walked into the room on this visit which was one of my last 2 appointments. She heard me tell this oncologist about my ankles,pain,etc. She told the Onc. that my ankles and feet were very swollen during my Herceptin treatments to collaborate and agree with what I had just said. She told him, "Remember how her(my) ankles and feet were during her Hercptin treatments?" He never said a word... except "YOU ARE going to be Fine, lady."
I think the ONCs will now give Tykerb as the first-line/BASE treatment. WILL you ask your ONC or his associates about this.?..

They seem to be ALL "EXPERTS" on HER2+ positive =breast cancer.
Are they the Originators of HERCEPTIN ? Who is/ARE the originators.. are they even in the GENETECH(DNA) company ?
Does Anyone ON THIS SITE,-- know ?
If these Oncologists, that you see happen to be the originators of the (traszumab -sp?-or better for me to say"Herceptin"), I think they will still keep giving Herceptin as first line/base treatment after a genetic test and a positive Topol II gene in their Her2+ breast cancer patients.
WHY do ONCS in the USA - "NOT" determine the more precise chemotherapy(s) to use by running aGenetic test on every biopsy, in the " first " place??
It is the ONLY LOGICAL THING to DO, as far as I can see.
Is it because the DRUG companies furnish the Oncs some chemos FREE.., which causes a chain reaction for the oncologists and drug companies- BOTH to make more $$$ --as we suffer ...??
IT cannot be because the Genetic test is THAT Expensive..because in the LONG run...
a genetic test would SAVE INSURANCES and the government a lot of $$$ after 1,2, or maybe more years of trying a person out on which Chemotherapy Drug works on each particular person !! What a WASTE of time, suffering and $$$ if this is true.....
What do you think ?
RSVP --(ANYONE to me)= publicly or PRIVATELY.
Kat in the Delta
katcdale@yahoo.com or this site's private messages.
Thanks------------------------- Kat