Alaska (or others)

Could you tell me what AIB1 is? I'm her2+, ER-, PR slightly+ and am on tamoxifin. Plan to discuss the reports Jeff listed earlier with my onc next time I see her, but I'm having a hard time digesting it all. What is AIB1 and how do I know if I have it?

TIA - Rose

When you see your onc you could find out first whether you are not just HER2+, but highly HER2+. There are 2 tests that are used to figure that out, and there are some indications that using the FISH test is more reliable in telling whether or not you are HER2+. The FISH tests uses a different scale than the IHC testing does. (My tumor was not tested using the FISH test, at least not yet, but on the IHC it came out as highly positive at +++.)

I know it may not make much sense, but I don't think testing for AIB1 is generally available and I am asking the question, should it be? Or at least, should there be some discussion so we can find out if any of us should be tested?

Alaska - I am 2.7 by IHC and 7.8 by FISH. I think the IHC is "moderately high" since it's not above 3, but any idea how strongly that FISH score is?

I don't know what to do....should I really push my onc to drop tamox? I asked her about doing AI once before and she's very conservative....said no conclusive study that anything beside tamox will provide the same benefit. At the time I didn't talk to her about the potential interaction I've learned about here between her2 and tamox....only questioned whether lupron shots and AI would be better than tamox.

This is all SO confusing! And I feel like I understand a lot of it pretty well. How do the rest of you guys do this??