[Christine MH-UK]

I can relate even though I got late herceptin: my oncologist let it slip once that I was his highest risk her2 patient and that's why I was getting it. Oh, great. But then again, I didn't get it within the ideal timeframe and that does trouble me.

I guess it's the problem with all this progress. You read about some great trial for early breast cancer and think, oh why couldn't I have had this five years later when the treatment would have been so much better. Until there's a cure, there will always be something better and some people will feel like they got stuck with last year's model.

If you really can't get herceptin in your situation there are some things to keep in mind:
1) So far, so good. It hasn't come back yet and the longer you go without it coming back, the more likely the treatment has worked. You are over the 18-24 month recurrence peak that people mention.
2) It's not just herceptin that has improved survival among her2s. The use of both anthracyclines and taxanes seems to make a difference. In fact, one Italian study (listed in the ASCO section) even found that, in Italy at least, the her2 disadvantage disappeared when taxanes were used after anthracyclines. Although this was a retrospective trial, the PACS01 study also found that taxanes made a difference.
3) One Harvard oncologist at least believes that deaths from this type of cancer will be a thing of the past in the next 5-10 years, so even if it comes back there is some possibility that it will be a chronic condition by then.

Oh, and herceptin definitely causes insomnia! I am about to turn into a pumpkin.