The Distinctive Nature of HER2-Positive Breast Cancers

Two "new" articles from the New England Journal of Medicine on HER 2 and Herceptin.

RB

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/...urcetype=HWCIT

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/...urcetype=HWCIT

[AlaskaAngel]

Is anyone here diagnosed as T1c and NED who is on Herceptin?

Is Herceptin NOT being used for the newly diagnosed who are staged T1c, since those staged T1c before the ASCO announcement were prohibited from being part of the clinical trials?

A.A.

[RhondaH]

and have been on Herceptin since 8/18/05 (will be until 08/06).

Rhonda Hoffman

[AlaskaAngel]

What does this actually mean:

"Patients with negative lymph nodes, whose estimated risk of recurrence after optimal chemotherapy and endocrine therapy comfortably exceeds the risk of the cardiac toxic effects of trastuzumab, should also be offered the antibody. Since most HER2-positive tumors have other adverse prognostic factors, this risk–benefit scenario is likely to apply to many patients with node-negative breast cancer. "

If patient A has a higher estimated risk of recurrence after optimal chemotherapy and endocrine therapy, but patient B is within a year out from therapy and patient A is 3 years out, why is it that patient B would automatically be offered the antibody but patient A would not?

[Sheryl]

Hi! You mentioned being currently treated with Herceptin for a full year regimen. I was not given Herceptin during or after I completed my 4 sessions of AC & 4 sessions of Taxotere since I apparently did not fit the "protocol" at the time I finished chemo- April '04. I did have 34 sessions of radiation after chemo. Now my oncologist is advising a year of Herceptin since I had a Her 2 pos +3 at the time of diagnosis. I am concerned about the cardiac risks & the fact that I am so far from my chemo completion (now 20 months since chemo). What were your circumstances for starting Herceptin? Are you having any side effects or symptoms with it? Sheryl

[Sheryl]

Is anyone being treated with Herceptin for one year who had been lymph node-neg., HER2 pos. +3 but treated with chemo more than one year ago? Sheryl

[Merridith]

Hi Sheryl:


I am. I was diagnosed with a 1.7 cm tumor, node neg in 2004. Finished typical chemo May 2004. No recurrances. I will start 1 year herceptin Jan 12 of this year. My hospital is paying for the herceptin.

I was on the HERA trial, and as a control was offered herceptin one year out. Unfortunately my MUGA was too low to meet the minimum HERA MUGA requirements for actually getting it. Now my hospital is going to give it to me anyways.

I live in Vancouver, Canada.

Regards,
Merridith