[RobinP]

Sorry to respond late to this, but I have my two cents to add. Late herceptin may be more than fifty percent responsive in the adjuvant setting if you have the right form of the receptor, p185 rather than p95 exclusively. Furthermore, if you could prove that you have p185 and pTEN, an oncogene that increase the effectiveness of Herceptin, then you may feel more comfortable doing late herceptin. I see very little down side to the nine week regimen that had nearly a fifty percent increase DFS at three year follow-up with zero cardiac events. Remember if you have p185 your response could be as high as 70% rather than 50%. (Note to see 2/13/06 post by me on 70% possible benifit of adjuvant Herceptin.)

Perhaps, more people in the gray zone, with little relapse risk, would consider late Herceptin, knowing that they had p185, pTen and the safer 9 week regimen.