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I'd really like some input from her2 group members on my situation. Here goes:
I'm hormone negative (estrogen and progesterone) and "borderline"
HER2 positive (I'll explain later). I was diagnosed 12/28/04 at
Stage II with IDC, 2/10 lymph nodes positive and I'm 41 yrs old. Completed 4 A/C, 4 Taxol treatments. Currently, in 4th of 6 wks of radiation.
My oncologist and I have discussed herceptin treatment. Initially, I
thought it was a no-brainer. "Of course, I want herceptin!!!" Well,
now the decision isn't so clear...the women for whom herceptin was
such a resounding success have very different situations/variables
than me. The women in the study received Herceptin w/Taxol every 3
wks. I've concluded chemo w/a dose dense protocol (every 2 wks). I
received chemo at Johns Hopkins (one of the sites of the study) and
my oncologist told me that there was 1 death in their study, a
middle-aged black woman (I'm black). The patient died due to fluid
buildup around her heart...and this was WITH the quarterly heart
monitoring. In addition, the fact that I'm not a strong positive
(FISH score=2...score determined to be postive if > 2) adds to my
dr's feeling that there is no way to know if herceptin would even be
effective for me. Other questions I had could not be answered since
the study data has yet to be compiled. If I elected to move forward
w/herceptin, the treatment would be every 3 wks for 1 year with the
possibility of heart/lung damage.
Any and all input would be sooo appreciated! Just want to make sure
that I'm considering everything while trying to make this decision.
Denise
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