HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post

07-15-2007, 10:37 AM

Hi Alice,

I have no idea if technically your stage changed or not. But I honestly don't think so far as your health is concerned the stage matters. I'm stage 1a but I also have markers that are higher than many women on this board with stage IV cancers. What really matters is that you stay on top, check out symptoms if you get them, and get the tests and scans you need, as they come due.
Some women go from stage 1a (or even from pure DCIS) to Stage IV, and many, many women in Stage 2 never recur or advance.

I have no idea about your question re HER2+ or HER3+++, except to say that we all have different FISH results (mine is 4.7); other women have higher numbers and others have lower, but most doctors say, don't concern yourself about the numbers, just do the treatment. I don't think any of the trials found differences between the FISH numbers with respect to recurrence. So if your tumor is responsive to herceptin, it should respond whatever the number.

So, bottom line, you responded to the neoadjuvant treatment, and that's great.

07-15-2007, 10:37 AM	#3
Grace Guest Posts: n/a	Hi Alice, I have no idea if technically your stage changed or not. But I honestly don't think so far as your health is concerned the stage matters. I'm stage 1a but I also have markers that are higher than many women on this board with stage IV cancers. What really matters is that you stay on top, check out symptoms if you get them, and get the tests and scans you need, as they come due. Some women go from stage 1a (or even from pure DCIS) to Stage IV, and many, many women in Stage 2 never recur or advance. I have no idea about your question re HER2+ or HER3+++, except to say that we all have different FISH results (mine is 4.7); other women have higher numbers and others have lower, but most doctors say, don't concern yourself about the numbers, just do the treatment. I don't think any of the trials found differences between the FISH numbers with respect to recurrence. So if your tumor is responsive to herceptin, it should respond whatever the number. So, bottom line, you responded to the neoadjuvant treatment, and that's great.