Tamoxifin and Herceptin

[AlaskaAngel]

Hi Jill,

I was diagnosed HER2/ER/PR positive and put on tamoxifen in 2002, but as time went by I found questions had been raised as early as 1998 about using it routinely for HER2/hormone receptor positive patients. I was taken off tamoxifen upon further discussion with my oncologist. Here is an article from 2004 that discusses just one of a number of questions about tamoxifen and HER2's that is fairly easily understood:


http://www.oncolink.org/resources/ar...h=06&year=2004

Here is a more recent discussion:

http://edrv.endojournals.org/cgi/con...tract/29/2/217


At this point, as patients we are not identified for risk by testing (for example) for AIB1 levels, so how would an oncologist have the information to decide which patients should have the tamoxifen and which ones should not? Might it be safer for premeno HER2's to avoid using tamoxifen, at least until ways to deal with the problem of development of resistance are provided to such patients, rather than encouraging them to use it?

AlaskaAngel

[TSund]

Hi Alaska Angel,

Am I remembering correctly that you did not have Herceptin? You were way "ahead of the curve" in being aware that Tamoxifen, particularly w/o Herceptin, could be questionable for HER2+ cancers.

The only thing worse, tho, would be A.A.'s given without making sure the ovaries were shut down. We met a wonderful young woman at our onc.'s office whose stage 1 no node ER+ cancer was treated by her former oncologist with armidiex (and either pre-herceptin or no herceptin given). Her cancer spread like wildfire.. and when we met her she was stage 4 with multiple mets and quite ill. The arimidex was like putting fuel on the fire as it can actually stimulate the ovaries to make more estrogen when pre-menopausal.

It made me so angry.....at the ignorance of the that onc., and at this disease for taking away such a vital and young wonderful mother and individual.


TRS