Newly diagnosed

maa764

Hello everyone,

I am new here - trying to absorb as much information as I can.  I have stage 2A IDC, Hormone Neg - HER2+ 2.1 not exactly sure what that means.  I will begin chemo shortly and follow with radiation and herceptin if approved by insurance.  Anyone who has had herceptin can you tell me if it is hard to get approved with a 2.1 vs 3+?  That is what the onc told me so he will fight to try to get this.  I am waiting on my genetic testing (sister had gene) mother had ovarian cancer so I have a 50/50 chance.  I am hopeful that I am the 50 /50 that does not have the actual gene mutation. 

I am getting a port put in sometime in the next week to 10 days and then treatment - I just don't know what to expect for any of this.

christina0001

Glad you are here but sorry you are going through this. I am also IIa IDC, HER+, but I am ER+ too. Anyway I have no idea what insurance might approve! You might want to post in the Insurance/Finance forum here and see if anyone there knows better. That's great that your onc is fighting for you on this.

Here is a link for information on hormone status: http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/hormone_status/

Here is a link for information on HER2 status: http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/her2.jsp

Just keep breathing and keep pushing forward and you will get through this! There is so much good information here. If you have any questions about getting through treatment, just ask.

doxie

maa764  This forum may help as a starting place for why your doctor is wanting you to have Herceptin.   Topic: NSABP B-47 Herceptin for HER2-Low Invasive Breast CancerForum: Clinical Trials, Research, News, and Study ResultsYour MO is trying to give you something more than what those with triple negative get.  Since you are essentially triple neg, you might find help in that forum.   Good luck.

maa764

I am still very confused, when I asked both surgeon and MO if I was triple negative I was told no - I am on the fence is what they said but they both consider me positive.  If that is the case then today I see radiologist and he says I am triple negative.  I am so confused and of course I don't have another appt until treatment starts so I feel lost at the moment.

Surgeon kept telling me before surgery everything would be fine, caught early very small tumor, not spreading to anywhere else, but now it seems like the oposite is happening.  Everyone is saying it is important to have double masectomy and chemo/radiation if I don't have the mastectomy.