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Old 01-10-2007, 09:12 PM   #2
AlaskaAngel
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Alaska
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We are a minority and should not be treated as average

"HER2-positive breast cancer grows more quickly and is considered more aggressive."

I couldn't agree more. Thank you, Lani. We are a minority, and the differences need to be recognized among medical personnel so that medical decisions for us are not based on the "average" rate of growth for breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society:

"The average doubling time for breast cancers is estimated at 100 days..... Assuming that a preclinical breast mass grows logarithmically with a doubling time of 100 days, 10 years would be required for the mass to reach a point at which it could be diagnosed by palpation....

...Although the point at which metastases occur is unknown, as are the factors that control metastases, the occurrence of metastases seems unlikely during the first 20 doublings. Some cancers may metastasize soon after that point, and the risk of metastasis probably increases steadily the longer the breast cancer grows before detection."

AlaskaAngel
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