[kat in the delta]

I just read in our local newspaper about someone at Duke Univ. doing a study ...and it mentioned also a DR. Slamon or Slaom-spelling is not correct from UCLA..CAlifornia.
Anyway, he said with a genetic test if you had the TOPELL(sp) then Herceptin could or could not help an Her2 + person... Help me look that up... It should be written in the Oct. issue of the Journal of Oncology... How Adrimycin damages the heart..then, if you add Herceptin, you are 5x's more likely to get heart damage.
I am sure that is what is wrong with me. I have never had the genetic test but I feel WE ALL NEED to TAKE it.....or we may be getting too Many chemos ..making the drug companies richer.. Insur. and Medicare(gov) would SAVE a LOT of MONEY if we all had TARGETED TREATMENT(s). My ankles swell ....and look like a diabetics or worse !!! I need to walk more to get my circulation going.. My OLD ONC.. gave me Herceptin when my Left Ventricle Output was just 47.... I just read the INsert of Herceptin..and the WARNINGS--do not give if less than 50 !! On a teleconference earlier I taped the ONC saying that 60 was really Normal....so you know if they say do NOT give HERCEPTIN if less than 50 or if it dropped 15pts score.
My New onc.. gave me a Circulating Tumor Test... and he was looking at my only 3 heart scans I had for ALL my TREATMENTS which lasted almost 2 yrs... Well, at least you don't have CANCER now... with a bit of a grin..as he was walking out..(like/ as if to say in MY words: THAT OTHER ONC.. GAVE you so much..s__t you did not have 1 CTC ..but the guy bout blew up your poor heart..)
the New onc is sending me to a good group of Heart spectialists, and I looked at that CTC test..and for now it said I had 0 circulating tumor cells in my body..... but like someone said ..you never know when it will Flare back out full force......... and I HURT --lack of circulation and some lymphedema in arm and chest..etc.. ??? Hope the Cardiologists can help kat in the delta