HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - What Makes HER2 Positive Cancers Unique After Treatment?

jaykay · 01-05-2017, 10:28 AM

I don't consider my cancer ever being "cured". That's why the term "no evidence of disease" (aka NED) is more appropriate.

While my oncologist considers my 2nd breast cancer a new primary (because it was in the other breast), it did have the exact same pathology as the first cancer. So I tend to think of it as a recurrence. It was 12 years after my first cancer and I did 10 years of anti-estrogen treatment. But I did not have chemo or herceptin for the first one.

I saw my oncologist every 6 months until the recurrence and it's been every 4 months for the past 3 years. We are now moving back to every 6 months, with an MRI once a year. I am on an AI (again!!!!) for an indefinite period of time.

Conversely, I had a good friend who was diagnosed as Stage 2b, ER+, PR-, Her2-. The "good" breast cancer, right? Wrong - she recurred a year after chemo, surgery, radiation, AI as Stage 4 and was dead in 8 months. She told me I was lucky to be Her2+ because there are so many tools to fight it these days.

Bottom line (as others have said) - be vigilant but live your life. Don't let this stinking disease control you

Best
Janis

01-05-2017, 10:28 AM	#10
jaykay Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 645	Re: What Makes HER2 Positive Cancers Unique After Treatment? I don't consider my cancer ever being "cured". That's why the term "no evidence of disease" (aka NED) is more appropriate. While my oncologist considers my 2nd breast cancer a new primary (because it was in the other breast), it did have the exact same pathology as the first cancer. So I tend to think of it as a recurrence. It was 12 years after my first cancer and I did 10 years of anti-estrogen treatment. But I did not have chemo or herceptin for the first one. I saw my oncologist every 6 months until the recurrence and it's been every 4 months for the past 3 years. We are now moving back to every 6 months, with an MRI once a year. I am on an AI (again!!!!) for an indefinite period of time. Conversely, I had a good friend who was diagnosed as Stage 2b, ER+, PR-, Her2-. The "good" breast cancer, right? Wrong - she recurred a year after chemo, surgery, radiation, AI as Stage 4 and was dead in 8 months. She told me I was lucky to be Her2+ because there are so many tools to fight it these days. Bottom line (as others have said) - be vigilant but live your life. Don't let this stinking disease control you Best Janis __________________ March, 2000: 48, Post menopausal (5 yrs HRT) Left breast, IDC 3mm/DCIS 1.6cm, ER+/PR-/Her2+++, mod differentiated, MIB low, lumpectomy, node neg via SNB, rads=33 Stage 1a June, 2000: Tamox 4.5 years,Femara for 5 years (end in Jan. 2010) Sept, 2012: 61, Via mamm, ultrasound, biopsy, right breast, 2.3cm tumor, ER+/PR-/Her2+++, poorly diff, KI67 60-70% BRCA 1 and 2 negative October, 2012: Bi Mast with tissue expanders, port placement Final Path: IDC 2.8cm, DCIS, 1/4 sentinal nodes positive (@#$%). Stage IIB Nov 29, 2012: Begin TCH/6x/every 3 wks, H for 1 year/every 3 weeks. March 14, 2013: Finished chemo April 9, 2013: Begin radiation 28x May 22, 2013: Finished rads June 1st, 2013: Started Aromasin for 5 yrs. July 15, 2013: Switched to Letrozole (Femara). Probably for the rest of my life October 16, 2013: Exchange surgery October 31, 2013: Finished Herceptin December 5, 2013: Port removed Glad this year is over!