HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post

Lani · 04-13-2006, 08:36 PM

I have heard it in conferences and the truth is nobody knows, so I haven't mentioned it until now, when Tom's obvious anguish got me to put things on the board I have previously held back on.

The most recent breast cancer researcher I talked to thought an aromatase inhibitor might help prevent herceptin resistance, but the paper she was working on has been submitted but not published yet so I she couldn't let me read it to see what her arguments were.

As regards the herceptin reversing the antihormonal resistance, there is some evidence in the petri dish but no evidence in people that it is so...that is why I was hoping to find out how many of the long-term survivors on Herceptin were also ER+ and treated with antihormonals. There are so many pathways and so little is understood. All your doctors can do is what is felt to be helpful by the best evidence at the time. That is aromatase inhibitors for now (fulvestrant after failure of aromatase inhibitors may become the standard in Stage IV patients) While her2+ER+ patients only constitute 8-10% of breast cancer patients it might take a while to find the best way to treat them. We all certainly hope NOT!!!!

THEY HAVE TENTATIVELY DIVIDED BREAST CANCER INTO FOUR OR FIVE MOLECULAR SUBTYPES AND NONE OF THEM ARE HER2+ AND ER+. The good news in the short run is that the HERA and US studies of adjuvant herceptin showed the benefit of herceptin was the same in ER+ and ER- her2+ patients. The story continues to unravel, so don't worry--just try to stay informed! Just be happy they have more things to aim at with treatment--those people with triple negative breast cancer have only surgery, radiation therapy and chemo. You have already two targeted treatments, and perhaps more to come.

Sorry to have alarmed you. I have Censored myself on at least 2 dozen occasions before. They REALLY DON"T KNOW, but they are acting on the best available clinical trial studies available. Every day dozens of papers are published. Let's all keep our eyes out for a better understanding of the her2+er+ tumors!

04-13-2006, 08:36 PM	#12
Lani Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 4,783	That is why I try not to discuss it I have heard it in conferences and the truth is nobody knows, so I haven't mentioned it until now, when Tom's obvious anguish got me to put things on the board I have previously held back on. The most recent breast cancer researcher I talked to thought an aromatase inhibitor might help prevent herceptin resistance, but the paper she was working on has been submitted but not published yet so I she couldn't let me read it to see what her arguments were. As regards the herceptin reversing the antihormonal resistance, there is some evidence in the petri dish but no evidence in people that it is so...that is why I was hoping to find out how many of the long-term survivors on Herceptin were also ER+ and treated with antihormonals. There are so many pathways and so little is understood. All your doctors can do is what is felt to be helpful by the best evidence at the time. That is aromatase inhibitors for now (fulvestrant after failure of aromatase inhibitors may become the standard in Stage IV patients) While her2+ER+ patients only constitute 8-10% of breast cancer patients it might take a while to find the best way to treat them. We all certainly hope NOT!!!! THEY HAVE TENTATIVELY DIVIDED BREAST CANCER INTO FOUR OR FIVE MOLECULAR SUBTYPES AND NONE OF THEM ARE HER2+ AND ER+. The good news in the short run is that the HERA and US studies of adjuvant herceptin showed the benefit of herceptin was the same in ER+ and ER- her2+ patients. The story continues to unravel, so don't worry--just try to stay informed! Just be happy they have more things to aim at with treatment--those people with triple negative breast cancer have only surgery, radiation therapy and chemo. You have already two targeted treatments, and perhaps more to come. Sorry to have alarmed you. I have Censored myself on at least 2 dozen occasions before. They REALLY DON"T KNOW, but they are acting on the best available clinical trial studies available. Every day dozens of papers are published. Let's all keep our eyes out for a better understanding of the her2+er+ tumors!