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09-19-2008, 09:05 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Ohio
Posts: 2
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HER2positive and Oncotype results
My oncotype results came back at 20, even with the HER2neu being positive. My onc was very reluctant to say I needed chemo. He was basing this, I think, on the fact that my largest tumor was 4 mm. Anyone else have their onc not push for chemo with a score similar to mine?
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09-19-2008, 10:21 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 292
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My ONC. does not do the OT test on Her2+ women. He feels it's kind of useless. So, who knows? How old are you?
Take care,
__________________
Krista
Diagnosed 3/29/2007 @ age 34
Stage 1, Node Neg. (SNB), Grade 2, 1.4 cm. IDC
ER/PR 90%+ HER2 +
6 TCH started 5/25/2007, ended after #5 due to steroid "reactions" and neuropathy in feet and hands
BUT--#6 CH w/o Taxotere
Begin Herceptin alone 9/28/2007
30 rads completed 12/19/2007
Finish Herceptin 5/9/2008
Stopped Tamoxifen early--HATED it.
Married 17 years
13-year old son
3 embies on ice (from 1999)
GA, USA
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09-19-2008, 10:33 AM
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#3
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Ohio
Posts: 2
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Sorry to read that you were diagnosed at such a young age. I am 53 now, was 52 when this all started.
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09-19-2008, 07:31 PM
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#4
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 1
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Christianne - I have been struggling with the same question - small tumor but some aggressive markers, which put me in the gray zone (I am 43). I contacted Genomic Health (the maker of the Oncotype test) and got the following response in regard to the effectiveness of this test relative to a Her2+++ tumor.
Thank you for inquiring about the Oncotype DX® Breast Cancer Assay. As you stated below, the Oncotype DX® Breast Cancer Assay is validated for testing on early stage female breast cancer patients who are ER positive and lymph node negative. Though the HER2 gene status of a patient is not required for testing (meaning a patient HER2 positive or negative can be submitted for testing), the majority of the tests performed by Genomic Health, Inc.® are for patients who are HER2 negative. A highly positive HER2 status through IHC or FISH testing will likely correlate to a high recurrence score and so testing may not prove beneficial. However, an equivocal or uncertain score for HER2 may prove to be HER2 equivocal or negative by RT-PCR (Genomic Health's method of testing HER2 and all other genes within the assay) and therefore results of the Oncotype DX® Breast Cancer Assay may prove extremely beneficial in determining average rate of distant recurrence. Beginning on September 27, 2008, the Oncotype DX® Breast Cancer Assay report will include the values for ER, PR, and HER2. These values are just three of the 21 genes used within the assay.
So... I kind of took away that Oncotype testing would not be real beneficial for me as I am highly HER2+++. Being weakly ER+ and PR- does not help either as I know being ER/PR + would "lower" an Oncotype score. Which makes me wonder if there are other "markers" such as high ER/PR positivity that might also be playing into your onc's point of view ? Was Her2 status confirmed via FISH ?
I would be very interested in what you find out ! Best of luck !
Jill
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09-19-2008, 08:00 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 292
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Christianne,
Thanks for your kind words. It was kind of a kick in the butt to have to think about all of this just when I felt my life was on track.
At any age, it's hard.
Take care,
__________________
Krista
Diagnosed 3/29/2007 @ age 34
Stage 1, Node Neg. (SNB), Grade 2, 1.4 cm. IDC
ER/PR 90%+ HER2 +
6 TCH started 5/25/2007, ended after #5 due to steroid "reactions" and neuropathy in feet and hands
BUT--#6 CH w/o Taxotere
Begin Herceptin alone 9/28/2007
30 rads completed 12/19/2007
Finish Herceptin 5/9/2008
Stopped Tamoxifen early--HATED it.
Married 17 years
13-year old son
3 embies on ice (from 1999)
GA, USA
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09-21-2008, 10:43 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Avilla, Indiana
Posts: 261
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Christianne,
I wanted the Oncotype test but was told, like others, it was only for hormone positve tumor patients and that I would need chemo anyway. However, my tumor was twice the size of yours.
__________________
-Dana-
]
Diagnosed - Nov. 2, 2007 at 45
Lumpectomy - Nov. 13, 2007
Tumor 1.2 cm
Stage 1 Grade 3
ER/PR - Her2 +++ (3.8)
Taxotere/Carboplatin/Herceptin- 6 rounds
Neulasta
Radiation 33 treatments - will be done 6/6/08
Herceptin through 12/08
12/07 MUGA 61%, 4/08 MUGA 60%, 7/08 MUGA 64%
three wonderful daughters, a terrific husband,
Life is Good
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09-21-2008, 06:34 PM
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#7
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 9
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My test score came back 82....I had a 4mm tumor..One onc said we shouldn't do chemo and 2 Oncs and the local tumor board recommended chemo...I did it and I still feel like it was the right decision..good luck!
__________________
Diagnosed 9/14/07 core needle Age 39
Lumpectomy 9/18/07 Stage Ia ER/PR+ Her2+, 4mm tumor/4cm DCIS, clean margins but other areas of possible DCIS show up on MRI -
Oncotype results in Oct show results of 80, questionable ER/PR+...ends up that DCIS is ER/PR-
BRCA1 & 2 Negative - waiting on results for BART and Cowden's Syndrome
Bi-lat was sched. for 11/6
Onc. changed plans based on Oncotype results
4 AC , 4 TX, 1 yr. Herceptin, 5 yr. Tamox AC started 11/01/07 DONE!
Taxol started 12/27/07 - 2/7/08 DONE YEAH!!
Bi-lat mast. with expanders March 25th - no new cancer found...YEAH
Married 15 years
Two great kids 13 yr. old son, 4 yr. old daughter
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