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My sister had pretty much the same stats as you Merry - just over the line into Her2 Stage 2(ER-/PR-), her tumor was 2.5 cm, and everything else was clear. She had a lumpectomy in July '03, then the Adriamycin/Cytoxin combo(very strong chemo) and had just started the Taxol arm of chemo when recurrence was found in same breast. She had a mastectomy, and had radiation treatment after starting Herceptin in March '04. The Herceptin has kept the rest of her body clear ever since, but doesn't cross the blood/brain barrier, so she is contending with brain mets, as are many other women on this site. I wish she'd had the option to start on Herceptin as soon as she was diagnosed (it's now approved for early stage bc, but wasn't then), and maybe she wouldn't have developed brain mets. Herceptin is not like chemo- very mild if any side effects, no loss of hair, no nausea etc. A very small percentage of women experience weakening of the heart muscle, and some can go back on Herceptin after a break. My sister's heart performance has been consistently strong throughout Herceptin treatment. I urge you to fight for Herceptin, and find a new onc if the one you now have refuses.
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