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Old 01-29-2008, 12:35 PM   #1
cafe1084
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 105
Her 2neu means....

a guarded optimism, NOW. Only because of the introduction of herceptin and Tykerb for us early stagers. THEN, it meant living with this dark ominous cloud hanging over my head waiting for absolute metastasis. I was convinced I would die from this, at least before my time.

I say guarded now because I find it difficult to put all hopes of a complete cure into the hands of one or two drugs. My concern now, being just a few weeks away from completion of herceptin is what happens when I am finished with it? It is still a cancer stimulated by a gene causing overgrowth of cells. I still have the gene and I still have some breast cells, if I have the biology right. If anyone can explain to me that this fear is irrational I would be happy to hear it
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Old 01-29-2008, 02:09 PM   #2
DonnaD
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Marengo, IL
Posts: 518
Lee,
So glad to hear your wife is responding so well to treatment. Has she started Herceptin yet?

I felt the same way you did when I rec'd the news of being Her2+ (the one two punch) But I feel so differently now. Like someone said most stats are before Herceptin. Herceptin is our wonder drug I am so thankful to have it available to us now. Many just a few years ago were not able to have it unless they had advanced breast cancer. I just finished in Dec. and really did not want to go off of it. Just like cafe 1084 mentioned. I do wish the HERA trial (one year of Herceptin vs 2 years) results were in.

I was lucky enough to attend the San Antonio Breast conference in Dec. The question was asked if one year of Herceptin is enough. The expert said yes! So much research is being done with Her2+ BC.

I heard it once explained, the bad news is you are Her2+ and the good news is you are Her2+. We do have a very successful treatment now!

I wish you and your wife the best.
Donna
__________________
Donna
Crystal Lake, IL
Diagnosed 8/4/06 at age 54
Lumpectomy 8/30/06
Stage llA, grade 3, ER/PR-, Her2++
1.7 cm tumor, 1+ lymph node out of 9
Completed 4 A/C, & 4 Taxol with Herceptin
36 rads completed 5/16/07
Mammograms, 7/07 clear
fractured ribs in radiated area 10/07
Finished Herceptin 12/27/07
Mammogram,CT,tumor markers 1/08 - small lung nodules in radiated area, repeated tests 3/08 stable
Mammogram,CT ,tumor markers 6/08 stable
NED 2 years!!
3 years !!!
4years!!!!
4 years, 10 months and 8 day NED, calling it 5 years!!!
Official 5 years 8/30/2011
8/31/ 2012 - 6 years!!!!!!
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Old 01-29-2008, 02:23 PM   #3
suzan w
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Location: Naples FL
Posts: 1,744
Smile

When my biopsy came back Her2+++ the first doctor I saw drew a chart...headed "Good" and "Bad" He put ER+ in the "Good" column-because that meant I could be treated with an aromatase inhibitor. He put Her2+++in the "Bad" column, explaining that it meant I had an agressive form of cancer (invasive lobular) with a mutated gene that made it rapid growing. EEKS!!! Time for a second opinion!!! After surgery, and sentinel node biopsy, my (new) surgeon and oncologist said that I was a good candidate for Herceptin! Even though at the time it had not yet been approved by the FDA for early stage bc, my oncologist prescribed it Off Lable. And as we all know, the news just keeps getting better as far as Her2+++bc is concerned. So my emotions ran the gamut when I heard Her2+++ . This site has provided me with such a safety net.
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Suzan W.
age 54 at diagnosis
5/05 suspicious mammogram-left breast
5/05 biopsy-invasive lobular carcinoma with LCIS,8mm tumor,stage 1 grade 2, ER+ PR+ Her2+++
6/14/05 bilateral mastectomy, node neg. all scans neg.
Oncotype DX-high risk
8/05-10/05 4 rounds A/C
10/05 -10/06 1 yr. herceptin
arimidex-5 years
2/14/08 started daily self administered injections..FORTEO for severe osteoporosis
7/28/09 BRCA 1 negative BRCA2 POSITIVE
8/17/09 prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy
10/15/10 last FORTEOinjection
RECLAST infusion(ostoeporosis)
6/14/10 5 year cancerversary!
8/2010-18%increase in bone density!
no further treatments
Oncologist says, "Go do the Happy Dance"
I say,"What a long strange trip its been"
'One day at a time'
6-14-2015. 10 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!
7-16 to 9-16. Extensive (and expensive) dental work done to save teeth. Damage from osteoporosis and chemo and long term bisphosphonate use
6-14-16. 11 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!!
7-20-16 Prolia injection for severe osteoporosis
2 days later, massive hive outbreak. This led to an eventual dx of Chronic Ideopathic Urticaria, an auto-immune disease from HELL.
6-14-17 12 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!!
still suffering from CIU. 4 hospitilizations in the past year

as of today, 10-31-17 in remission from CIU and still, CANCER FREE!!!
6-14-18 13 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!! NED!!
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