Better outcomes for her2+ hormonal positives....

RobinP · 01-09-2009, 11:12 AM

Identification of a low risk subgroup in Her2-positive breast cancer by the 70-gene prognosis signature...
http://www.abstracts2view.com/sabcs/...8L_1453&terms=

"The good prognosis group had positive hormone-receptors in 85%, and fewer patients received adjuvant therapy: 16 patients (59%) received no adjuvant treatment, 6 (22%) received adjuvant chemotherapy, 8 (30%) hormonal therapy and 1 (4%) received trastuzumab."

Lani · 01-12-2009, 02:44 PM

the found a subset of her2+ breast cancer patients( 16% of the total that they studied) with a better prognosis. Of those 16% , 85% were ER+. Since about 50% of her2+ patients are ER+ if this studies IS TRULY REPRESENTATIVE WHICH IS UNCLEAR AS THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS IN THE STUDY WAS ,
then those her2+ ER+ patients make up ~13% of all her2+ patients and ~25% of her2+ER+ patients. The good news is that there is a group of her2+ patients with a much better prognosis even if they don't get treatment. I know AlaskaAngel always worries because she didn't get herceptin and there are others on this board who may not have gotten what is NOW the standard of care (which is certain to continue to change)

(Lots of impetus exists for pursuing this study further exists as herceptin is expensive and governments and insurance companies are trying to figure out if there is any subgroup of her2+ patients for which they could get away without treating them with herceptin)

A small subgroup of her2+ breast cancer patients was identified in this poster with a better prognosis than the majority of her2+ breast cancer patients
and within that subgroup more were ER+ than ER-, but that is different than saying that for all her2+ breast cancer patients ER+ patients have a better prognosis--just wanted to be sure the title didn't mislead

Hope this helps!

Hopeful · 01-12-2009, 04:02 PM

It is interesting to see that the 70 gene signature test can identify good prognosis Her2+ patients, as the Oncotype Dx generally classifies all of us as "high risk." I think it has to do with the use of a validation group made up of patients taking only tamoxifen for the Oncotype test.

Hopeful