HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Hope for neo-adjuvant chemo patients with a complete pathological response

bejuce · 02-11-2011, 04:02 PM

No, I was initially diagnosed at ER+ 5% but had the test re-done and was found to be ER+ 30%. I asked the doctor whether the ER positivity would change things, and he believed that in the aggressive, fast tumor that I had, the HER-2 was the main driver. He also said that I responded really well to Tykerb and the chemo I had prior to surgery, which is an indication that the HER-2 was really the main culprit in my case.

I tried to challenge him by asking him about the statement that Dr. Love had made - that one is only cured of cancer when you die at 92 of something else - and he said that that's no longer the case for HER-2+.

He showed me a spreadsheet of many pages of patients (I just saw the blank back pages) that he has treated, HER-2+ or not, and he said that achieving a complete or close to complete response to chemo prior to surgery has indeed in his practical experience proven to be a great predictor of success.

Either way, I'm more optimistic now than I was before. Granted, I went to him to ask about a 2nd opinion and he still thinks I should get into a vaccine trial or the Neuratinib trial because of my high risk, but he believes I should do very well.

It was truly wonderful to hear that!

02-11-2011, 04:02 PM	#6
bejuce Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 510	Re: Hope for neo-adjuvant chemo patients with a complete pathological response No, I was initially diagnosed at ER+ 5% but had the test re-done and was found to be ER+ 30%. I asked the doctor whether the ER positivity would change things, and he believed that in the aggressive, fast tumor that I had, the HER-2 was the main driver. He also said that I responded really well to Tykerb and the chemo I had prior to surgery, which is an indication that the HER-2 was really the main culprit in my case. I tried to challenge him by asking him about the statement that Dr. Love had made - that one is only cured of cancer when you die at 92 of something else - and he said that that's no longer the case for HER-2+. He showed me a spreadsheet of many pages of patients (I just saw the blank back pages) that he has treated, HER-2+ or not, and he said that achieving a complete or close to complete response to chemo prior to surgery has indeed in his practical experience proven to be a great predictor of success. Either way, I'm more optimistic now than I was before. Granted, I went to him to ask about a 2nd opinion and he still thinks I should get into a vaccine trial or the Neuratinib trial because of my high risk, but he believes I should do very well. It was truly wonderful to hear that! __________________ ER+ (30%)/PR-/HER-2+, stage 3 Diagnosed on 02/18/09 at 38 with a huge 12x10 cm tumor, after a 6 month delay. Told I was too young and had no risk factors. Found swollen node during breastfeeding. March-August 09: neo-adjuvant chemo, part of a trial at Stanford (4 DD A/C, 4 Taxotere with daily Tykerb), loading dose of Herceptin 08/12/09 - bye bye boobies (bilateral mastectomy) 08/24/09 - path report shows 100 % success in breast tissue (no cancer there, yay!), 98 % success in lymphatic invasion, and even though 11/13 nodes were still positive, > 95 % of the tumor in them was killed. Hoping for the best! September-October 09: rads with daily Xeloda 02/25/10 - Cholecystectomy 05/27/10 - Bone scan clear 06/14/10 - CT scan clear, ovarian cyst found 07/27/10 - Done with Herceptin! 02/15/11 - MVA-BN HER-2 vaccine trial 03/15/11 - First CA 15-3: 12.7 and normal, yay! 10/01/11 - Bone scan and CT scan clear, fatty liver found now on Tamoxifen and Aspirin