HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - her2 and ER and PR status are age-related--triple positive bc occurs ~5 yrs earlier

Lani · 08-14-2007, 10:56 AM

there are various cells that become cancerous but those that are triple + win out in younger patients perhaps because of the hormonal enviroment or other external force which causes them to outgrow the others (think of weeds in a garden), perhaps because of other reasons. But I don't think they really know enough to be sure that is the model ie, that a potential tumor or tumor is made of of heterogeneous cells and which set wins out in the out-of-control growth game is determined by outside environment /hormonal environment/etc. is really operative.

Equally plausible is a stem cell theory where either the stem cell or any one(or several) of its pluripotential daughter cells has a certain set of characteristics--and it is the daughter cells which make up 99% OF THE tumor cells and which the pathologists look at, whereas the culprits, and the ones capable of causing recurrence after sitting dormant, are perhaps cells with a different set of ER,PR and her2 characteristics altogether.

Sorry to confuse you more!

08-14-2007, 10:56 AM	#5
Lani Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 4,782	selective growth advantage assumes that there are various cells that become cancerous but those that are triple + win out in younger patients perhaps because of the hormonal enviroment or other external force which causes them to outgrow the others (think of weeds in a garden), perhaps because of other reasons. But I don't think they really know enough to be sure that is the model ie, that a potential tumor or tumor is made of of heterogeneous cells and which set wins out in the out-of-control growth game is determined by outside environment /hormonal environment/etc. is really operative. Equally plausible is a stem cell theory where either the stem cell or any one(or several) of its pluripotential daughter cells has a certain set of characteristics--and it is the daughter cells which make up 99% OF THE tumor cells and which the pathologists look at, whereas the culprits, and the ones capable of causing recurrence after sitting dormant, are perhaps cells with a different set of ER,PR and her2 characteristics altogether. Sorry to confuse you more!