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I have heard the opposite. That almost all DCIS start out HER 2+ and can change to HER 2 (-) and then get hormone driven. I am not saying that if a DCIS is removed from you that it is then HER 2+ but that in the very beginning, at the cellular level, they start out that way then change to the more common hormone positive kind. I will look through all my "stuff" to see where I read this as I have never seen it again.
If this is true, then it means that whatever mechanism drives a cell to overexpress HER 2 is what (initially) drives all breast cancer. If also true, when do the cells switch over? For example, I had a DCIS next to my tumor. The tumor was HER 2 3+ and 50%ER but PR neg. The DCIS was HER 2 normal and 60% ER and 30% PR (and its size was only 3mm).
If this is true, then Herceptin should work like Tamoxifen for all women and could be considered a better alternative for future cancer prevention regardless of HER 2 status (if they all start out HER 2 positive).
I have so much stuff you will have to give me time to dig to find this particular reference.
Best regards
Becky
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