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12-21-2005, 11:52 PM

her2neu serum ecd is only validated in metastatic breast cancer patients.

In those that are metastatic, a decrease of 23% of serum her2neu levels from pre-herceptin test to a test result 1-2 weeks after the initiation of herceptin is felt to predict efficacy of herceptin in that patient, even if the patient's pre-herceptin her2neu level was not >15.

It seems you do not have distant metastases, so there has been no validation of the meaning of the test results in your case. That does not mean there is no validity, it has not been tested in the setting of breast cancer without distant metastasis, and it seems there is not much interest among the oncologic community in extending it to be a test looking for recurrence in those with NED except the Bayer people.

As more and more testing for her2neu is done, and done better and as more and more patients are treated with Herceptin, we must hope the test will be validated in more patient settings and available more widely.

Hope this helps!

12-21-2005, 11:52 PM	#5
Unregistered Guest Posts: n/a	When Did You Start Testing---pre Herceptin? her2neu serum ecd is only validated in metastatic breast cancer patients. In those that are metastatic, a decrease of 23% of serum her2neu levels from pre-herceptin test to a test result 1-2 weeks after the initiation of herceptin is felt to predict efficacy of herceptin in that patient, even if the patient's pre-herceptin her2neu level was not >15. It seems you do not have distant metastases, so there has been no validation of the meaning of the test results in your case. That does not mean there is no validity, it has not been tested in the setting of breast cancer without distant metastasis, and it seems there is not much interest among the oncologic community in extending it to be a test looking for recurrence in those with NED except the Bayer people. As more and more testing for her2neu is done, and done better and as more and more patients are treated with Herceptin, we must hope the test will be validated in more patient settings and available more widely. Hope this helps!