[Jean]

Greg,
First of all I am sorry that your wife was dx with bc.
She is lucky to have you checking and asking questions.
I think another opinon would not hurt.

I am a firm believer in we must work with what we have at this time....rather than not treat. These decsions are not easy. But maybe this may help. Grade 3 tumor is based on the micrioscopic appearance of cancer cells, pathologists commonly describe tumor grade by degrees of severity: Grade 1 tumors resemble normal cells, and tend to grow slowly, while grade 3 and 4 tumors tend to grow rapidly and spread faster than the tumors with a lower grade. So your wife at grade 3 is an important feature. While node negative is favorable it is not a guarantee. So you should consider all the issues that make up your wife's tumor..base your treatment decsions on the character of the tumor. Your wifes oncotype DX is high, but most women with Her2 will have a high test results. Most dr. using the test rule on having chemo after a score of 18 to 20...it varies from different dr.

Next your wife is er Positive which also serves as another means for the cancer to grow via estrogen. We know now that her 2 like to travel and is an aggressive bc....with the drug hercpetin we are seeing the stats changing.

I believe we will have to endure some more years before the stats are out to demonstate the benefits of early stage bc patients having treatments.

The problem we have is that the doctors just don't know which patients need the chemo/hercpetin. What we do know is that herceptin works and has changed the odds about this dx. by 50%.

It is a very difficult decsion to make on treatment and each person has to weigh the odds for themselves. Review your pathology report and certainly seek another opinion. But what ever you do please make a decision based on knowlege and not fear.

Please let us know how you and your wife are doing.
Sending you good wishes and prayers.
Jean