Michelle, could you explain further?

10-20-2005, 03:50 PM

Michelle, if you can, would you look at my earlier today post "Question about Fish Test". I am trying to understand my pathology on this and don't seem to get any straight answers. Your answer in the post below was helpful, but I am curious, the scale that starts at 1, how high does it go?

Thanks,
Cheryl

Joe · 10-20-2005, 04:19 PM

There is much confusion about the results of IHC and FISH test results. They both measure different segments of the HER2/neu gene so there is no direct correlation.

The results of the IHC test are: 0,1,2,3 and 3+++

The results of the FISH test is a ratio of Chromosone 17 to HER2 genes and there are only two scores: positive or negative.

For an explaination of both tests go to:

http://www.her2support.org/her2fish.pdf

Regards
Joe

Joe · 10-20-2005, 04:24 PM

The handwritten 3+ was probably placed by your oncologist. The IHC test was the original test to determine status and many oncs use a FISH score of positive and an IHC score of 3+ interchangeably.

I would call up your oncologists office and ask just one question: What is my HER2 status?

How they derive that status can be very confusing.

Regards
Joe

michele u · 10-20-2005, 05:37 PM

Joe, Thanks for the great article on Her2. It was confusing, but i think i learned alittle.

Cheryl,
I looked at your post. It seems to me your FISH score is 5. Alot of women i've talked to had 5 score. I think that number comes from how much of the Her2 markers are in a certain amount of the slide when looking under the microscope.A score of 10 has been the highest that i know of, but i'm sure there is more. I looked back on my FISH recently and there was a big 10 on the top of the report. The main thing with Her2 positive breast cancer, is that if it is any plus 1,2,or 3 you can use Herceptin which is a good thing, i think. Like the news is saying today, Herceptin is changing the face of breast cancer!!

Oh and Joe, i did see Dr. Slamon on TV today. I would loveeee to meet him and say "Thanks for saving my life"

athena453 · 10-20-2005, 09:15 PM

GREAT information, Joe. Thank you.

I think as long as your IHC score is a least 3, you are likely to benefit from herceptin. Logically, Michelle's theory would appear to follow, though I don't think there is a significant amount of published data on her hypothesis.

(FYI, my FISH is 5.16, IHC3+, so I am hoping it works for me!

Lolly · 10-20-2005, 09:52 PM

Well, now I'm still confused; my onc sent the recent needle biopsy of my nodes up to Seattle for FISH analysis, and when it came back positive he said, like Joe, there is only positive or negative on FISH. I forgot to ask for a copy of the report, but will do so when I go in next week; if there are any numbers in the report I'll ask what they mean!

<3,
Lolly