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Eugene,

Most important! Determine how badly your wife wants the Herceptin. IF SHE is convinced that Herceptin is what she wants to try, then it is time for you to get pushy. Push your oncologist for Herceptin, get a second or even third opinion. Let the Docs know what you intend to do and that s/he is not the only game in town.

I am sure that there are many women who have been diagnosed with HER2, had the initial bout -WON- and walked away with no recurrence. The problem is that most of the people on this board are here not for first diagnosis but for recurrence. That to me explains why most of them are stage IV rather than earlier stages. Once we are beyond cancer, there is not much reason for most people to keep up with the latest treatments. Hence, not too many postings from long term or no recurrence survivors. Thank goodness there are a few "Old Hats" who stick around this site to cheer, celebrate, and encourage the newbie and the seasoned warrior.

You may want to check out the Clinical Trials portion of this site too. There seems to be a lot of promise in some of the new vaccines. It might at least be something to investigate and there is always the possibility the vaccine may be the right choice for your wife!

The main thing is to not be complacent with testing and scans. Just when we were becoming comfortable after four years was when Cyndi’s mets were found. While Herceptin is a miracle drug for many women, it is not the magic bullet for every HER2 survivor. Cyndi has tried two times in the past eight months to take Herceptin but plural effusions have caused her to withdraw both times.

God Bless You Both,
ron