Very Late Herceptin for early stage

[bjj]

Just wanted to say that I know how you feel.

I am in the UK. I had WLE in January, tumour 1.6 cm, ER+, clear lymph nodes, and have recently found out that I am probably HER2+++ (still waiting for confirmation as have two different test results!).

I was advised in Feb not to have chemo just radiotherapy which at the time I was happy with. However I now feel I have missed out. I saw two oncologists last week both said that because I was low risk I didn't have chemo etc etc. It seems that at the moment in this country you cannot have Herceptin without having had chemo, I can't have chemo now because it is too late, and I can't have Herceptin alone and they both said that there was no data about what (if any) benefit there would be to having treatment so far down the line.

I have accepted at the moment that I had the right treatment at the time with the information available but I very strongly feel that the in the future the treatment options for people like me will be different. I feel that anyone diagnosed HER2 positive will be offered chemo and Herceptin as a matter of course (France are doing this). I just got diagnosed too early - as did you, I guess Robyn. It's hard, isn't it?

My onc is going to the San Antonio conference and knows that I am anxious and hopes to come back with an update. I think she knows me well enough now that I will be following it too!

Take care

bjj