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Hi; Her-2/neu is a protein growth factor, and in that respect works much the same way as estrogen , which is a hormone growth factor. The receptor site on your cancer cell is specific to Her-2/neu rather than estrogen, and Herceptin works by locking onto that receptor site and blocking Her-2/neu from latching on (which is how Tamoxifen works to block estrogen driven cancers).
That's my very simplified version of what it means to be Her-2 positive. It does seem to help family and friends understand the need for maintenance Herceptin in my case.
Hope this helps!
<3 Lolly
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