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Kriss,
Your diagnosis sounds incredibly similar to mine. I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcimoma (IDC) in June. I had a 1.3 cm tumor removed from just behind my nipple (my breast surgeon said she had enough clearance for margins to be able to leave the nipple, but it was close to the surface of the skin). I am ER+ (80%) and PR+ (50%). My sentinel node biopsy was clear, so I am Stage 1, grade 2. I saw three radiation oncologists and two oncologists to determine my treatment path. I did some research on the % of benefit of chemotherapy for ER+/PR+ strongly positive tumors and chose to decline chemo. I did, however, find an oncologist willing to give me Herceptin without chemo, so I am doing a year of that treatment, plus five years of an aromatase inhibitor (AI) as I was diagnosed post-menopause. I also had 7 weeks of radiation treatments that I did in conjunction with the Herceptin treatment, as Herceptin is supposed to make the radiation treatment more effective. I am also discussing with my oncologist the prospect of adding Tykerb to my treatment regimen, should it be approved by the FDA in the next two months.
From all that I have read both on this board and in the current medical literature, Her2+ breast cancer (bc), especially when diagnosed at an early stage, has a much improved prognosis than it did even 5 years ago. Much research has been done (and continues) on how to treat this particular form of the disease. There are many options and tools available to you for successful treatment. I know it is an agony waiting for your appointment to get additional information, but please take heart that you will hear many positive things when you finally get to see the doctor.
Best of luck to you with your treatment,
Hopeful
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