[Cathya]

Katie;

Just a thought.....you might consider using the Serum Her2 test on a regular basis. This might offer you some additional comfort regardless of what treatment you end up with. There's lots of information on the site about it. Here's Becky's explanation:

The Her2 Serum test measures the amount of "external domain" of the Her2 receptor in your blood. The external domain is the part that sticks out of the cancer cell on the outside - the part that Herceptin would latch onto. Theory is that the external domain is routinely shed. It ends up in the blood and can therefore be measured. So, if you have mets growing, the count would go up. However, what it is especially good for is if you have mets and are in treatment, you can get the test run and if the counts aren't going down, it is an indication the treatment is not working so it can cut down on scans just to see if the treatment is working.

If you search under Dr. Carney you will find lots of information. I know for instance that Gina uses it along with other tumor markers to moniter her metatastic disease. If the Serum Her2 is up she takes a loading dose of herceptin to stop any potential tumor build up. It has allowed her to use herceptin effectively for many years as her sole treatment. You are so young and have an aggressive, sneaky disease. It seems to me to offer you a way to monitor and potentially catch any spread very early on.

Cathy