HER2 Serum Test for Mets

schoolteacher · 01-22-2010, 08:07 AM

I have an appointment next week with my oncologist. I have been trying to gather information on what my next step should be in this journey.

My HER2 level is currently 23.2. I found this information in a post about Tamoxifen reistance:

If you search under Dr. Carney you will find lots of information. I know for instance that Gina uses it along with other tumor markers to moniter her metatastic disease. If the Serum Her2 is up she takes a loading dose of herceptin to stop any potential tumor build up. It has allowed her to use herceptin effectively for many years as her sole treatment. You are so young and have an aggressive, sneaky disease. It seems to me to offer you a way to monitor and potentially catch any spread very early on.

Have any of you who get the HER2 serum blood test taken another loading dose if your levels start going up?

Amelia

Becky · 01-22-2010, 01:48 PM

Dear Amelia

One thing you need to know is that Gina is Stage 4. She did not start as a Stage 4 but recurred to the liver. In order to preserve her immune system, she did not want chemo and only took Herceptin. She also did not want to take Herceptin indefinitely (every 3 weeks) so she uses a unique system of tumor marker (I don't know if she uses CA 15 or CA 27/29) and the Her2Serum Test as a guide to when she needs some Herceptin. I believe she needs a loading dose every 6-8 weeks. It works for her. Perhaps you can search the site for Gina's posts or email or private message her.

I really just wanted you to know that she is able to do this due to her Stage 4 status.

schoolteacher · 01-22-2010, 02:45 PM

Thank you Becky for this information. I am stage IV too. The BC was in my bones also. I have been on Herceptin for 2 years on 2-14. I had hoped to come off the Herceptin, but he has now told me I will need to stay on the Herceptin.

Becky, I don't know how to search for Gina's post. I don't remember reading many post from her.

It dawned on me last night that my HER2 level started going up a couple of months after I started the Tamoxifen.

I have not had a chance to check the board for HER2 and Tamoxifen. I remember that there have been some questions concerning taking the two together. My estrogen level is now 5. When I started the Herceptin my estrogen level was 50, and it did not go down until I began the Tamoxifen.

Is it possible the depletion of estrogen could be driving my HER2 level up? Is that what you call in mathematics an "inverse" relationship between these two? When one goes up the other goes down.

I know you have done a lot of research on this board. Do you know of any other women who need to do the loading dose again to bring their levels down?
Amelia

Becky · 01-22-2010, 07:41 PM

http://her2support.org/vbulletin/sea...earchid=490515

These are all the posts by Gina - whether or not she started them.

Chelee · 01-23-2010, 02:45 AM

Amelia, I tried Becky's link and it did not work for me? But I looked up Gina and here is a link for her. You can look thur all her posts if you need too? One says "All threads started by" Gina. The other says "Find all posts by Gina".

Hope this helps.

Chelee

Chelee · 01-23-2010, 04:22 AM

Couldn't sleep tonight so decided to check back in here one more time. I'm glad I did because I see I forgot to leave the "link" for Gina's posts. (Talk about total chemo brain.) lol

Lets try again. Ha!

http://her2support.org/vbulletin/member.php?u=281

Sure hope this works at the rate I'm going.

Chelee