The weakly er+ group

[Becky]

Alice

At SABCS 2007 there was a presentation aimed primarily at ER+PR- tumors where they took a "molecular" picture of the tumors and compared them to the molecular pictures of ER+PR+ and ER-PR- tumors.

Bottom line is some ER+PR- tumors look like ER+PR+ tumors and some look like ER-PR- tumors and some are truly unique and are thus ER+PR- (but just a small portion).

However, the presenter also said that some ER+PR+ tumors look like ER-PR- tumors (and vice versa) and this is probably what happened to you (perhaps).

They did not do this in conjunction with any other markers (such as Her2) but the presenter was indicating that this may be why some women don't respond to endocrine therapies - because their hormone positive cancer is actually very different than what is expected.

[DianneS]

Taking hormone therapy is a highly personal decision. I am weakly ER positive so hormone therapy would benefit me 4-6%. That is a very very minimal amount of benefit, considering the serious side effect from hormone therapy. I was serious enough about considering taking it to do the metabolizer test to see if I could metabolize Tamoxifen and I am a normal metabolizer, but it makes me feel sick. So did Arimidex. I tried for weeks to take this stuff - first Arimidex for 3 weeks, then Tamoxifen and felt sicker and weaker every day. My onc said if it was him, he would not take it because of the small benefit. Everyone's diagnosis is different so everyone has to decide on their own. As far as I am concerned there is no study about weakly ER+ women - we are lumped in with studies involving strongly ER+, everyone gets the same dose pill (one size fits all?) and there is no evidence that taking it for 5 years or less - or more - are better. My onc told me that regular vigorous exercise is proving to be better at beating getting a recurrence than chemo! As far as I am concerned my immune system took a big hit and getting it built back up as fast as possible with exercise and good eating habits will help keep me strong, not more chemicals in my body.

Some women just can't take hormone therapy and do just fine. If you are willing to put up with side effects and risks , then go for it. But it's your decision and yours alone.

Have a Peaceful Holiday Season and I wish you all the best,

Dianne

[Jackie07]

I thought I had posted something somewhere...

I was 'weakly' ER + and PR-. Have been taken Tamoxifen for almost 5 years now. While contemplating getting hysterectomy/oophorectomy I 'accidentally' found out from my oncologist that the sample from my mastectomy (recurrence) in 2007 was ER -. But the oncologist thought it's still a good idea to get rid of my uterus and ovaries. Come January...