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Chelee · 03-13-2008, 03:12 PM

Jean, I wish that doctor that invented it would send out a "memo" to all the cancer centers telling them this test IS recommended for early stagers too.

(I know he won't...I'm joking of course.)

On a serious note I did ask my oncologist about this test back when Kate 1st mentioned how it worked for her when they found her lung mets. I wanted to see if I could talk my onc into a baseline and continue doing it? She said, "No, we don't use that test". Implying to me...not even for stage IV's?

Then when I went up to the City Of Hope to my 2nd opinion onc that I like so well...she too said they don't use the Her2 serum test. That really surprised me. I still believe in the sooner you find mets the better regardless of what some say. Since we are Her2 which is more aggressive I think all tools should be made availble to us if we are comfortable having them done. (Which I one of them.) So your right Jean, most onc's DO discourage them...I've asked both my onc's now, and both said no.

Chelee

03-13-2008, 03:12 PM	#7
Chelee Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Southern, CA Posts: 2,511	Jean, I wish that doctor that invented it would send out a "memo" to all the cancer centers telling them this test IS recommended for early stagers too. (I know he won't...I'm joking of course.) On a serious note I did ask my oncologist about this test back when Kate 1st mentioned how it worked for her when they found her lung mets. I wanted to see if I could talk my onc into a baseline and continue doing it? She said, "No, we don't use that test". Implying to me...not even for stage IV's? Then when I went up to the City Of Hope to my 2nd opinion onc that I like so well...she too said they don't use the Her2 serum test. That really surprised me. I still believe in the sooner you find mets the better regardless of what some say. Since we are Her2 which is more aggressive I think all tools should be made availble to us if we are comfortable having them done. (Which I one of them.) So your right Jean, most onc's DO discourage them...I've asked both my onc's now, and both said no. Chelee __________________ DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes. Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs. Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06 Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07 3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07 9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV. 9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa 9-29-09 Power Port Placement 10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head. 11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed 12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa. 3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed. 4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone. 5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy. Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time. 7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.