Elderly mother HER2+

Carole23

Hello - My 82 yr old mother was recently diagnosed ER/PR- HER2+. She has a 15mm tumor which will be removed by lumpectomy tomorrow. Does anyone have any information on treatment typically used in older patients? Are they given Herceptin? Her surgeon has told us to expect radiation and possibly chemo. Any help is appreciated!

Moderators

Hi Carole23-

First off, welcome to Breastcancer.org. We're sorry to hear of your mother's diagnosis, but hope you find the support and information you're looking for here. We're sure someone will be along shortly with some advice or info, but in the meantime, you may also want to post your question in the Older Than 60 Years With Breast Cancer forum, someone there might have a bit more insight regarding treatment and treatment options for your mom. You're both in our thoughts!

The Mods

Rmanmom

Hi Carole23,

While not Her2+ (I was which is why I look at this board), my mom was diagnosed with IDC Er/Pr+ at age 81 1/2.  She was not treated differently than any other BC patient and was offered all treatment and surgery options.  Due to the MRI discovering a second small mass she elected for a mastectomy and had direct to implant reconstruction.  A micromet was detected in one lymph node and her oncotype score came back somewhat high so she elected to do 4 rounds of T/C.  She came through it with no problems, her hair grew back quickly and she's going strong at 84.

I was treated right after her (no genetic link, just bad luck) for triple positive BC and when undergoing treatment I met a woman who only gave her age as "mid-late 70's", receiving weekly Herceptin.  I believe if your mom's overall health is good, she will be offered Herceptin.