Maree, here is a link to BCNA all about Herceptin.
http://www.bcna.org.au/cms/details.asp?NewsID=491
It has been partly approved but they are waiting for it to go on PBS so it isn't $50,000 to $70,000. Here is a paragraph that states how the TGA has approved it in early stage BC:
BCNA welcomed the TGA announcement that it had extended the use of Herceptin to early breast cancer. However, we are concerned about limitations placed on this approval. Herceptin can be used for ‘localised breast cancer’ that is in all tumour sizes with lymph node involvement and where there is no lymph node involvement the tumour must be greater than 20 mm in diameter. This means that the application has not been approved for women with no lymph node involvement and tumours that are less than 20mm in size.
So since your tumor was 1.4cm and if you had no nodes involved, it seems not to meet their criteria. Don't give up though as things can change so quickly. Check out the link.
I'm in Melbourne as you may have guessed. Where are you?
Christine
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