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I was offered Herceptin right after surgery in Sept. Both my surgeon and onc recommended it and I began it with chemo a month after my mastectomy.

My insurance company required a path report, then began payments.

I was diagnosed in April 2003, stage II, 1 node positive, 3.3 cm tumor, Her2+. I took 4 A/C and 4 Taxol, dose dense. I had a double mastectomy, no radiation. No Herceptin. No mets. I think about Herceptin everyday.

I was diagnosed at age 49 with Stage 1 IDC grade 2 in October 2000. 1 1/2 cm ER+/PR+ Her2+++. Lumpectomy, A/C x4, and 28 rads. Tamoxifen 9 months Arimidex 3 1/2 yrs. done with treatment... so far so good. When I ask onc. about late herceptin last June he said I would receive if I had a recurrence.

I am so glad I came into this thread!
I now know there are so many success stories out there!
I was dx in Oct 2005 with IDC / Stage 1 / 1cm / negative sentinal node / ER+
PR weakly+/ HER2+++ / Grade 3
I did 4 AC @ 3 week intervals.
I have just received my 3rd treatment of Herceptin/Taxol.
I will then receive Arimedex and get 1 year of Herceptin alone.
I will ask my onc how she feels about beginning Herceptin long after other chemos. She seemed very adament about me getting the Herceptin/chemo treatments at my early stage, but she is a firm believer in Herceptin.
Sadie

I was diagnosed Oct 2005 with Stage III ER/PR negative, HER2 positive, axillary lymph node involvement - no mets. I opted for chemo before surgery due to large size and high grade tumor and also because of the Holidays. I just finished 4 rounds of adriamycin/cytoxan (A/C). Experienced severe problems with low blood counts and now am scheduled to start 4 rounds of Taxotere after which I will have surgery. My tumor has shrunk, not significantly but somewhat. My oncologist has already told me that after surgery I will have radiation and then a year of herceptin. I am a new member and don't post much but do check all the postings. There is a wealth of information on this site.

When I was first diagnosed with BC in Oct. 1999, I had a lumpectomy, then mastectomy "to get clean margins", and then A/C/Taxol just to "be safe". The surgeon removed 20 lymph nodes and all were NEGATIVE. But everybody kept saying my pathology "made them nervous." I was ER/PR pos. and HER 2 +++. But back then, I knew nothing about HER 2. So when I asked, they just said I had a very aggressive cancer. At that time, Herceptin was only for women with recurrences/mets.

And for 3.5 years, no mets. I was shocked when they were discovered in my liver and bones, initially, then in my brain and lymph nodes.

I've been on Herceptin now for 2.5 years. And yet, my mets keep coming back. I believe I'm one of the 30% for whom Herceptin doesn't quite do the trick. But we're all so different in our pathologies. So don't get scared. Just live life the best you can and fight if and when you need to.

Love and light,

Lisa