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07-19-2007, 07:01 PM
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#1
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Guest
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Annie--Although HER2+ has worse prognosis than non-HER2, ER+, other factors come into play as well. I was telling my oncologist on Tuesday one of the sad stories, and he came back and told me three positive ones for every sad one of mine. I gave up and he won! Actually, on Adjuvant, which most doctors use, my risk of dying of my cancer in ten years is 4%, and my risk of dying of something else is 12%.
So, honestly, just because you're HER2+ does not mean you'll have a recurrence. Most women don't.
And just think of Christine's story when you get depressed. I do!
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07-20-2007, 07:57 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Naples FL
Posts: 1,744
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Hi Annie,
It is so hard not to let this disease get the best of us! The way I look at it is, being Her2+++, there is a treatment (herceptin). Being ER+, there is a treatment (arimidex) and so forth. There are so many things that can happen to us on a daily basis for which there is no treatment. I try to stay positive and grateful for living in an age where there have been so many advances in breast cancer treatment. There are even days now when I forget about it for a few hours at a time! That is progress!!! Hang in there!!!
__________________
 Suzan W.
age 54 at diagnosis
5/05 suspicious mammogram-left breast
5/05 biopsy-invasive lobular carcinoma with LCIS,8mm tumor,stage 1 grade 2, ER+ PR+ Her2+++
6/14/05 bilateral mastectomy, node neg. all scans neg.
Oncotype DX-high risk
8/05-10/05 4 rounds A/C
10/05 -10/06 1 yr. herceptin
arimidex-5 years
2/14/08 started daily self administered injections..FORTEO for severe osteoporosis
7/28/09 BRCA 1 negative BRCA2 POSITIVE
8/17/09 prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy
10/15/10 last FORTEOinjection
RECLAST infusion(ostoeporosis)
6/14/10 5 year cancerversary!
8/2010-18%increase in bone density!
no further treatments
Oncologist says, "Go do the Happy Dance"
I say,"What a long strange trip its been"
'One day at a time'
6-14-2015. 10 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!
7-16 to 9-16. Extensive (and expensive) dental work done to save teeth. Damage from osteoporosis and chemo and long term bisphosphonate use
6-14-16. 11 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!!
7-20-16 Prolia injection for severe osteoporosis
2 days later, massive hive outbreak. This led to an eventual dx of Chronic Ideopathic Urticaria, an auto-immune disease from HELL.
6-14-17 12 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!!
still suffering from CIU. 4 hospitilizations in the past year
as of today, 10-31-17 in remission from CIU and still, CANCER FREE!!!
6-14-18 13 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!! NED!!
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07-20-2007, 12:17 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Sheboygan, WI
Posts: 2,582
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Dear Annie,
I heard or read this joke the other day. It went like this............. A woman went to her doctor to hear the pathology report about her breast tumor. The doctor said I have bad news and good news. The bad news is your tumor is her2 positive AND the good news is your tumor is her2 positive. LOL LOL LOL!
Living in the day and age we are living in as far as her2 positive breast cancer goes, we are a bunch of fortunate women! Well, I don't know if fortunate is the right choice of words.  But hey, with herceptin and tykerb things are looking WAYYYYYY better than they were. Your prognosis is really good Annie. Really good.
Your feelings of fear are normal. Most definitely. Especially just finishing up with treatment. It's scary when we let go of that "security blanket" and move into the "let's wait and see world." But once again I say............your prognosis is really good. Try to hang onto that and then go out and live your life and grab a hold of each moment because in reality NONE of us know what's around the bend. Wether you have had cancer or not.
You know, I came to this post to try to encourage someone else and after reading the posts by the others I WAS ENCOURAGED as well. I guess the fears are never far from any of us on any given day.
Sending love and hugs your way,
Mary Jo
__________________
"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
Dx. 6/24/05 age 45 Right Breast IDC ER/PR. Neg., - Her2+++ RB Mast. - 7/28/05 - 4 cm. tumor Margins clear - 1 microscopic cell 1 sent. node No Vasucular Invasion 4 DD A/C - 4 DD Taxol & Herceptin 1 full year of Herceptin received every 3 weeks 28 rads prophylactic Mast. 3/2/06
17 Years NED
<>< Romans 8:28
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07-20-2007, 12:28 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,519
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I am not saying you will, and I pray that you and all "newbies" don't, but if you do have recurrance, it may very well be only once - and you will power through it and whatever treatments are necessary, because that's what we do here. We are the Tykerb Tigers and Herceptin Honeys. And hopefully some day in the foreseeable future, Her2Neu will become Her2Old!
__________________
Brenda
NOV 2012 - 9 yr anniversary
JULY 2012 - 7 yr anniversary stage IV (of 50...)
Nov'03~ dX stage 2B
Dec'03~ Rt side mastectomy, Her2+, ER/PR+, 10 nodes out, one node positive
Jan'04~ Taxotere/Adria/Cytoxan x 6, NED, no Rads, Tamox. 1 year, Arimadex 3 mo., NED 14 mo.
Sept'05~ micro mets lungs/chest nodes/underarm node, Switched to Aromasin, T/C/H x 7, NED 6 months - Herceptin only
Aug'06~ micro mets chest nodes, & bone spot @ C3 neck, Added Taxol to Herceptin
Feb'07~ Genetic testing, BRCA 1&2 neg
Apr'07~ MRI - two 9mm brain mets & 5 punctates, new left chest met, & small increase of bone spot C3 neck, Stopped Aromasin
May'07~ Started Tykerb/Xeloda, no WBR for now
June'07~ MRI - stable brain mets, no new mets, 9mm spots less enhanced, CA15.3 down 45.5 to 9.3 in 10 wks, Ty/Xel working magic!
Aug'07~ MRI - brain mets shrunk half, NO NEW BRAIN METS!!, TMs stable @ 9.2
Oct'07~ PET/CT & MRI show NED
Apr'08~ scans still show NED in the head, small bone spot on right iliac crest (rear pelvic bone)
Sept'08~ MRI shows activity in brain mets, completed 5 fractions/5 consecutive days of IMRT to zap the pesky buggers
Oct'08~ dropped Xeloda, switched to tri-weekly Herceptin in combo with Tykerb, extend to tri-monthly Zometa infusion
Dec'08~ Brain MRI- 4 spots reduced to punctate size, large spot shrunk by 3mm, CT of torso clear/pelvis spot stable
June'09~ new 3-4mm left cerrebellar spot zapped with IMRT targeted rads
Sept'09~ new 6mm & 1 cm spots in pituitary/optic chiasm area. Rx= 25 days of 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the tumors.
Oct'09~ 25 days of low dose 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the bone mets spot on rt. iliac crest that have been watching for 2 years. Added daily Aromasin back into treatment regimen.
Apr'10~ Brain MRI clear! But, see new small spot on adrenal gland. Change from Aromasin back to Tamoxifen.
June'10~ Tumor markers (CA15.3) dropped from 37 to 23 after one month on Tamoxifen. Continue to monitor adrenal gland spot. Remain on Tykerb/Herceptin/Tamoxifen.
Nov'10~ Radiate positive mediastinal node that was pressing on recurrent laryngeal nerve, causing paralyzed larynx and a funny voice.
Jan'11~ MRI shows possible activity or perhaps just scar tissue/necrotic increase on 3 previously treated brain spots and a pituitary spot. 5 days of IMRT on 4 spots.
Feb'11~ Enrolled in T-DM1 EAP in Denver, first treatment March 25, 2011.
Mar'11~ Finally started T-DM1 EAP in Denver at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center/Rose on Mar. 25... hallelujah.
"I would rather be anecdotally alive than statistically dead."
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