Her2neu+++

I am 46 yrs old with strong family history of bc (mom & grandmo). In July Dx with stage 1 IDC, 1.5cm and .4cm (4mm)masses removed via lumpectomy, no nodes, grade 3. Er/Pr- her 2 +++ Started 1st session of chemo AC for 4 rounds every 3 weeks then taxol/herceptin followed by herceptin to equal 1 year. I will also receive radiation after the AC is finished. Do you think this is aggressive enough to prevent a reoccurance or am I a sitting time bomb for stage IV? Any other treatments I should be considering? Thank you so much.

hi Donna--
My info is within my post to Lolly & Mickey just below yours. I think you are getting a very aggressive treatment regiment. When you say "no nodes" do you mean none were positive or that none were taken out?

If no nodes were positive, in my opinion, you are receiving more treatment than most others would be offered, and given your Her2 and hormone receptor status. The one year of Herceptin is what I am suggesting for myself. There aren't any other options for those with Her2 tumors (especially larger ones like mine) with ER/PR negative status.

I hope I answered your question adequately. Best of luck to you!

Val (age 43)

Hi Donna
You have a few months before you start the Taxol/Herceptin. At that time your doctor may have decided Taxotere/Herceptin is the better way. But not to worry about that now as you get the AC behind you. You have time to do your homework.
Also, my onc said today that he is thinking of two years of Herceptin! Well, since no one knows who will pay for it, we will see. But things are changing fast enough that none of these recommedations for chemo in the future are probably written in stone today.
Janet

Hi Donna -

I am just coming up to my last herceptin treatment. Yea!!!! I was dx'd in April ' 04 - 1.4 cm, 1 micromet to the sentinal node, lumpectomy, 4 AC, then weekly herceptin with taxotere for the first 10 weeks (had taxotere every 3 weeks for a total of 4 treatments) and then herceptin treatments every 3 weeks for a year. I had a muga scan before AC, after AC and then every 3 months while taking the herceptin. Also did 35 rad treatments after the 4 taxotere were done.

There are some posts regarding taxotere vs. taxol. I went with taxotere because my onc felt more comfortable with it and thought there were less side effects. Although I have seen conflicting posts on that.

This approach was aggressive a year ago but now given the recent findings on herceptin I think this will definitely become the norm. I based my decision to pursue the herceptin in large part due to the number of women I had seen post on this website that were stage 1 and had recurred. This is a crappy card we are all dealt and I have seen how fleeting NED can be. I went at it with gusto and have a profound hope that it is behind me. However if I do recur I am hopeful that I will be able to hit it hard again as I have seen so many women on this website do so with unbelievable grace, intelligence and raw determination.

I do not have any family history but my onc wanted me to do the Brac testing before I finished chemo so that if I were positive I might want to have a double masectomy and ovaries removed and skip radiation. I opted not to pursue that route for several reasons - did not want permanent record of Brac status on file, felt it was expensive and not totally convinced of its accuracy in statistical outcomes, and after getting 3 opinions immediately at diagnosis and was told survival rates were the same between lumpectomy and masectomy by all 3, I just couldn't revisit the masectomy decision almost 5 months later.

Best of luck on your treatment and finding the right decisions for you. For me the AC was the worst. Taxotere was so much easier- not as foggy or nauseous and herceptin has been a piece of cake.


All the best,
Tami
(44)

Thank you all for the info, it is appreciated

Donna:

If I read your DX right youhave No lymph gland involvement.

I had almost the exact same diagnosis in 2002...they wouldn't give me taxotere after A/C w/o node involvment and of course Herceptin was out of the question.

It's amazing how things have changed in just a few very short years. Take what you can!

I had Stage 1 no nodes...mascetomy AC and radiaton and 2 years later I am Stage 4 with extensive bone and lung mets...well I guess I get the herceptin and Taxotere now!

Good luck,
Nancy

Hi, let me cut to chase...smile...IF YOU ARE HER-2 3+, get on Herceptin any way you can and stay on a dosing schedule that works for you. I was DX in 1997, had the surgery, did all kinds of agressive stuff as I was only 33 years old at the time...LONG story short...bought me 5 months...then the cancer mets to my whole liver...and later on to pelvis and now bones...nasty stuff...Fortunately, as I was already stage 3b then 4, I got the Herceptin off and on since 1999 and I am still here and have a superb QOL. I have been using herceptin alone now with diet since 99. Find a Herceptin dosing schedule and dosage that works for you. Don't guess...force your onc to take your CA 27/29 and Serum Her-2 levels on a REGULAR basis...even if they argue and protest...blah, blah, blah. Use the levels as biofeedback to guage how much you need and when...Keep the CA 27/29 LOW (10 or less) and the Serum Her-2 under 12 if you can...Best of luck, Gina.