Patients with IHC "weak" scores and FISH "strong" scores
IHC measures the receptors on the outside of the cell. A 2+ or 3+ reading on IHC are considered Her2 positive. However, I've read that in the past, 2+ patients were considered harder to treat because they kind of "fall between the cracks" in what type of treatment needed. (Although today, they would get Herceptin..)
FISH measures the copies of the Her2 gene inside the cell.
I am IHC 2+ and FISH 8.6 (high score). I'm wondering if the IHC "weak" people don't do as well on herceptin, because herceptin targets HER2 receptors outside of the cell and these people have fewer receptors there.
Maybe these IHC somewhat "weak" people but "strong" in FISH, would do better when treated with agents that target the inside of the cell, such as Lapatinib.
But the Lapatinib trials will only take you if you are stage 3 or metestatic. My tumor was 1/4 of a centimeter from meeting the classification of stage 3. And thankfully, still NED. I'm currently getting late herceptin, but after reading how some drugs target Her2+ from the outside of the cell, and some from the inside, it has me wondering......
Does anyone know of anything other than Lapatinib that targets HER2+ from the inside of the cell? (That's a big question, I know.........)
Barbara2
Last edited by Barbara2; 04-06-2006 at 07:34 AM..
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