[Nancy L]

Lani echos exactly what Dr. Slamon (UCLA) told me---you need a biopsy that gives the oncologist all the information about the cancer to be treated to expect the best outcome. I assume you know who Dr. Slamon is and how much he has done to change Her2 disease from a death sentence into a treatable cancer. Docs used to assume if you had breast cancer and you had a recurrence, it had to be the same type of cancer. And I think there are many general oncologists who have this outdated belief. But breast cancer oncologists now know this is not true.

But this is also personal for me. When my sister was first diagnosed with breast cancer, her tumor was her2 negative. When she had liver mets and they biopsed them, the pathology came back her2 positive. Her oncologist said "that has to be wrong----she is her2 negative". At that time they had not discovered that tumors change characteristics. I have always wondered if she would still be alive today if they had given her Herceptin. I wish I would have said back then "give it to her anyway" but I didn't know what I know today about breast cancer.

As Dr. Slamon told me---"I am shooting in the dark without all the information about this recurrence." The oncologist in the desert (where I get my infusions) wanted to put me immediately on chemo. When the biopsy showed my recurrence was strongly Her2 positive, Dr. Slamon prescribed Herceptin plus Tykerb. I know Tykerb is not approved in the UK and this may not be the right formula for you anyway. But you need to find out what you have before letting them start treatment. You have time.