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12-26-2006, 09:50 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Acworth, GA
Posts: 2,104
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Catherine,
I took the liberty of moving your post from "Profiles in Courage" to the "HER2 Group Forum" so that you would receive replies.
Having lymph node involvement means that you have advanced breast cancer, not metastic breast cancer. Metastic is when the cancer has invaded distant organs of the body - liver, lungs, bones, etc. Being hormone negative means that you will not have to take anything to suppress your ovaries from producing estrogen. Being HER2 means that you have Herceptin available to you and also in February 2007 Tykerb is to be approved by the FDA.
There are two tests for HER-2
IHC test (IHC stands for ImmunoHistoChemestry) The IHC test shows if there is too much HER2 receptor protein in the cancer cells. The results of of the IHC test can be 0 (negative), 1+ (negatiave), 2+ (borderline), or 3+ (positive).
FISH test (FISH stands for Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization). The FISH test shows if there are too many copies of the HER2 gene in the cancer cells. The results of the FISH test can be "positive" (extra copies) or "negative" (normal number of copies).
Only cancers that test IHC "3+" or FISH "positive" will respond well to therapy that works against HER-2. An IHC 2+ test result is called borderline. If you have a 2+ result, you can and should ask to have the tissue tested with the FISH test.
Hope this answers some of your questions.
__________________
Kate
Stage IIIC Diagnosed Oct 25, 2005 (age 58)
ER/PR-, HER2+++, grade 3, Ploidy/DNA index: Aneuploid/1.61, S-phase: 24.2%
Neoadjunct chemo: 4 A/C; 4 Taxatore
Bilateral mastectomy June 8, 2006
14 of 26 nodes positive
Herceptin June 22, 2006 - April 20, 2007
Radiation (X35) July 24-September 11, 2006
BRCA1/BRCA2 negative
Stage IV lung mets July 13, 2007 - TCH
Single brain met - August 6, 2007 -CyberKnife
Oct 2007 - clear brain MRI and lung mets shrinking.
March 2008 lung met progression, brain still clear - begin Tykerb/Xeloda/Ixempra
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12-27-2006, 05:45 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Savannah, Georgia
Posts: 301
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Hi Catherine,
You've come to a wonderful place. There are many terrific women here that are very knowledgable, but most of all very supportive and caring. You will have a lot of help navigating through this. We have a very similar dx- there are many informative threads on er/pr + and - . You should be able to do a search and they will be accessible.
Things have come a long way for Her2+ people- with Herceptin and many other new treatments, there is alot to be positive about. Many women here will inspire you and lift you up.
Love, Kelly
__________________
dx'd 05/06, 37 years old
er/pr-, Her2+, grade 3
double mastectomy, immediate reconstruction- implants
Stage 2b, 2 tumors- 2.2 cm and 0.6 cm, 3/5 + nodes
all scans clear
genetic testing- negative
06/06 began dd A/C x 4, 12 weekly Taxols w/ Herceptin
30 rads
Herceptin weekly x 1 year
Herceptin completed 08/07
Port removed 12/26/07 MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!
05/17/08 Two year anniversary NED
"We gain strength, courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... you must do the thing that you think you cannot do."
-Eleanor Roosevelt
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12-27-2006, 08:34 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Ireland
Posts: 3,463
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Hi Catherine
As you probably know I spend a lot of time on Komen too!!
It's worth coming here often as the people here are so knowledgable on
our type of cancer and also so couragous,it gives me confidence just reading
their posts.
Unlike you I'm highly triple positive so had my ovaries removed earlier in the year and now take Arimidex.
The side effects are not to bad and well worth it if it keeps the cancer away!!
I also had 3 positive nodes so we have that in common.
Hope to see you hear more often.
Tricia
__________________
Tricia
Dx July '05 IDC 1.9cm Triple positive 3/9 nodes positive
A/C X 4 ..Taxol/Herceptin x 12 wks then herceptin 1 yr
Rads x 36 ..oophorectomy August '06
Currently taking Arimidex..
June 2011 osteopenia/ zometa x1 yearly- stopped Zometa 2015 as Dexa show normal bone density.
Stopped Arimidex July 2014- Restarted Arimidex 2015 for a further two years on the advice of my Onc.
2014 Normal Dexa scan
2018 Mammo all clear, still NED!
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12-27-2006, 06:17 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: The Hudson Valley, New York
Posts: 124
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Hi,
There is a lot of info on the web regarding your questions.
You asked the difference between er/pr neg, and er/pr pos.
Whether or not there are estrogen and progesterone receptors with the cancer cells. This determines whether the treatment you'll receive is hormone based or not.
Lymph node involvement does not mean metestatic bc. It means that there are cancer cells detected within those lymph nodes, it does not mean that there is cancer elsewhere in your body.
The accuracy of HER2 diagnosis was well answered by Tousled1 (Kate).
Welcome here, We have found some of the best people... very warm and caring souls who are full of information and compassion. Some answered you already! We are new to this too, and we thank you for being here.
and yes... this dx of HER2 is not what it once was. There is reason to think it is the most treatable of cancers now. 
__________________
---Kevin and Sue---
Dx'd 10/06 IDC grade III/III
Er- pr- HER2 3+
MRM right breast 12/5/06
nodes negative
same day reconstruction started
(implants)
Stage II (2.2 cm tumor)
fairly extensive DCIS
Ct and Bone scans clean
Port placement 12/26/06
AC (4 cycles DD)to begin 1/2/07
Taxol/Taxotere (4 cycles DD)
Herceptin for one year
"There is no distinction between the one who gives, the one who receives, and the gift itself."- Hahn
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12-27-2006, 10:44 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Oregon
Posts: 715
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Thank you for helping me with my first post.
Thanks to everyone who answered me and welcomed me to this site. Your answers were very helpful. I am not exactly sure how to navigate on this site, but I will get better. I might even figure out how to get my picture on here. I will have to decide whether the picture will be before BC, or currently with a half inch of hair, or currently with my cute wig.
Thanks so much for the good wishes...same to all of you.
Catherine in Oregon
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12-27-2006, 10:59 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Oregon
Posts: 1,756
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Hi Catherine, and a late welcome to the group  I'm er/pr-, her2+++, and also from Oregon!
If a cancer is er/pr positive, it means estrogen and progesterone help the cancer cells to grow. Therapys for these cancers involve blocking the effects of the hormones.
Her2-neu is a protein, and being Her2+ means our cancer cells use the her2-neu protein to grow, and that's where Herceptin and Tykerb come in, helping to block the growth effects of Her2.
Sounds so simple, wish it were as simple to treat!
<3 Lolly
__________________
Sept.'99 - Dx.Stage IIIB, IDC ER/PR-, HER2+++ by IHC, confirmed '04 by FISH. Left MRM, AC x's 4, Taxol x's 4, 33 Rads, finishing Tx May 2000. Jan.'01 - local/regional recurrence, Stage IV. Herceptin/Navelbine weekly till NED August 2001, then maintenance Herceptin. Right Mast. April 2002. Local/Regional recurrence April '04, Herceptin plus/minus chemo until May '07. Gemzar added from Feb.'07-April '07; Tykerb/Abraxane until August '07, back on Herceptin plus Taxotere and Xeloda Sept. '07. Stopped T/X Nov. '07, stopped Herceptin Dec. '07, started Avastin/Taxol/Carboplatin Dec. '07. Progression in chest skin, stopped TAC March '03, started radiation.
Herceptin has served as the "Backbone" of my treatment strategy for over 6 years, giving me great quality of life. In 2005, I was privileged to participate in the University of Washington/Seattle HER2 Vaccine Trial.
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