HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - here we go again: How inexact ER status testing is!!!

TSund · 07-10-2007, 10:02 AM

1) hmm...is the dye used on the intial needle biopsy as well as the sentinel node biopsy? (Ruth is getting "pre-surgery" chemo)

It has occured to me that in highly hormonal positive that the chemo may just be shutting down the ER via chemopause and this is the main way it works. HOWEVER I don't think that is true in Ruth's case as her dramatic response was very evident in 1st exam before 2nd treatment, and I've read that usually women have one more menstrual cycle before chemopause) Tho it's been 5 weeks and she's not had another cycle.

Lani, I was referring in #2 aboce to what I had read in reference to Herceptin working better WITH chemo than without, I believe regardless of ER status. So...this perhaps leads to the idea that all HER2+ should have chemo with Herceptin since we really need the Herceptin and you wnat it to work in the best possbile way? Or....it could translate into HER2+ tumors needing or responding to the chemo for some reason inherent in Her2+?

This has confused me, because I've read that herceptin works better with an intact immune system. So..since chemo generally can hurt the immune system, why does Herceptin work better with chemo???

THANKS~

Terri

THANK-yoU!

07-10-2007, 10:02 AM	#14
TSund Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: DFW area (TX) Posts: 431	1) hmm...is the dye used on the intial needle biopsy as well as the sentinel node biopsy? (Ruth is getting "pre-surgery" chemo) It has occured to me that in highly hormonal positive that the chemo may just be shutting down the ER via chemopause and this is the main way it works. HOWEVER I don't think that is true in Ruth's case as her dramatic response was very evident in 1st exam before 2nd treatment, and I've read that usually women have one more menstrual cycle before chemopause) Tho it's been 5 weeks and she's not had another cycle. Lani, I was referring in #2 aboce to what I had read in reference to Herceptin working better WITH chemo than without, I believe regardless of ER status. So...this perhaps leads to the idea that all HER2+ should have chemo with Herceptin since we really need the Herceptin and you wnat it to work in the best possbile way? Or....it could translate into HER2+ tumors needing or responding to the chemo for some reason inherent in Her2+? This has confused me, because I've read that herceptin works better with an intact immune system. So..since chemo generally can hurt the immune system, why does Herceptin work better with chemo??? THANKS~ Terri THANK-yoU!