ER/PR - Tumors start out ER/PR +?/

Olivia · 11-19-2005, 09:41 AM

It seems I have heard recently (maybe here), that they believe that ER/PR - tumors began as ER/PR+?????? If that is the case, why am I not taking Tamoxifan to prevent a recurrence????

Also, Nancy Davidson, Oncologist at Hopkins, is doing a study about flipping you from ER/PR - to +. What would be the benefit? Just enabling you to take Tamoxifan?

Does anyone have any ideas about this?

Thanks,

Olivia

Diagnosed 12/17/04 Stage 1 IDC 9mm, ER/PR -, Her2+, Grade 3
Bilateral mastectomy with latisimus dorsi reconstruction, 4 A/C, 4 Taxol, Herceptin for a year. No rads. Age 36

Michelle · 11-19-2005, 11:10 AM

Olivia,
I don't know about er/pr status changing, but I do know my tumor was not uniformly er/pr+. That is to say portions of my tumor were negative, while others were positive. My onc explained one part of a tumor can be negative, while another part is positive. In the end I had my tumor pathology done 3x's. I was also told her2 status can not change, but have read discussions that say differently just recently.Good luck in your search.
Michelle

Becky · 11-19-2005, 11:20 AM

I have heard the opposite. That almost all DCIS start out HER 2+ and can change to HER 2 (-) and then get hormone driven. I am not saying that if a DCIS is removed from you that it is then HER 2+ but that in the very beginning, at the cellular level, they start out that way then change to the more common hormone positive kind. I will look through all my "stuff" to see where I read this as I have never seen it again.

If this is true, then it means that whatever mechanism drives a cell to overexpress HER 2 is what (initially) drives all breast cancer. If also true, when do the cells switch over? For example, I had a DCIS next to my tumor. The tumor was HER 2 3+ and 50%ER but PR neg. The DCIS was HER 2 normal and 60% ER and 30% PR (and its size was only 3mm).

If this is true, then Herceptin should work like Tamoxifen for all women and could be considered a better alternative for future cancer prevention regardless of HER 2 status (if they all start out HER 2 positive).

I have so much stuff you will have to give me time to dig to find this particular reference.

Best regards

Becky