HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Wait for symptoms before scanning & treating?

StephN · 11-21-2005, 01:54 PM

Jessica -
I meant to answer this one, but have been short on time lately. Thanks.

It is my impression that Musa is making a general statement that covers ALL breast cancer patients and not addressing any particular group such as our HER2 positive, high grade and, in many cases, hormone negative subclass.

For those women with low grade tumors that do not present as much of a threat of mets, this is probably perfectly reasonable. But, my med onc placed me in his "high risk" group and kept me close on his radar screen, which turned out to be a GOOD thing as I had mets very soon after adjuvent treatment. I did not have to ask for scans, chest x-ray, breast MRI OR blood tests/tumor markers. My oncologist thought I should have them!

Perhaps you are not in agreement with Musa's message, because it does not come with the caveats for those patients who are at higher risk and who ARE harder to treat once mets occur. AND symptoms can come LATE in the mets process - as we all know - cancer is SNEAKY!

11-21-2005, 01:54 PM	#2
StephN Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Misty woods of WA State Posts: 4,128	A general statement ... Jessica - I meant to answer this one, but have been short on time lately. Thanks. It is my impression that Musa is making a general statement that covers ALL breast cancer patients and not addressing any particular group such as our HER2 positive, high grade and, in many cases, hormone negative subclass. For those women with low grade tumors that do not present as much of a threat of mets, this is probably perfectly reasonable. But, my med onc placed me in his "high risk" group and kept me close on his radar screen, which turned out to be a GOOD thing as I had mets very soon after adjuvent treatment. I did not have to ask for scans, chest x-ray, breast MRI OR blood tests/tumor markers. My oncologist thought I should have them! Perhaps you are not in agreement with Musa's message, because it does not come with the caveats for those patients who are at higher risk and who ARE harder to treat once mets occur. AND symptoms can come LATE in the mets process - as we all know - cancer is SNEAKY!