Educate Me

teaka123

Please.

Diagnosed with DCIS stage 0 grade 3 and had a mastectomy a week ago. Doing very well.

Just rc'd final path report from BS. Margins are clear. Lymph nodes negative/clear. However, they did find .7 IDC Hers2. Prognosis is excellent per BS.

I had myself well versed with the DCIS etc. But, I feel I'm starting all over with this new IDC & Her2. Even the .7 - I don't know how concerned I should be.

As I mentioned, I just had a mastectomy. And I will be seeing an oncologist. Should I anticipate no further treatment? Chemo? Drug treatment of some sort? Or....?

Thank you for shedding any light on this for me.

Salamandra

Hey Teaka123,

The good news about HER+ is that they've made great strides in recent years and have some very effective treatments that help prevent recurrence.

Unfortunately, any kind of invasive cancer can ultimately lead to mets, and it is impossible to know in any particular case whether it will or not. All we get are odds. I guess the odds will be strongly in your favor, given how small it is and that it is HER+. (is it also HR+?)

HER+ is often treated with chemo and then 'regular' oral pills. Here is a BCO page about it: https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/he...

Hopefully you'll get to meet with your MO soon and they can answer questions and help explain things. Good luck!

ElaineTherese

Hi!

Does 0.7 = 7 mm? IIRC, oncologists will recommend chemo and targeted therapy for HER2+ cancer if it is 5 mm or larger, so your oncologist will likely recommend Taxol + Herceptin, and then Herceptin for a year. The HER2 protein tells cells to divide; an overexpression of the HER2 protein means that your cancer was being told to divide, divide, divide. That's why HER2+ breast cancer has historically been considered to be aggressive.

Fortunately, because of the discovery of targeted therapy (Herceptin, Perjeta, Kadycla), most breast cancer patients with HER2+ have good outcomes today.

If you are also ER+, your oncologist will also recommend hormonal therapy.

Best wishes!

teaka123

Thank you Salamandra and Elaine Therese. I'll be setting up an appointment with the oncologist as soon as my insurance approves.

I appreciate the information you provided.

teaka123

ElaineTherese, my understanding is .7 mm. Very very small.

Breast surgeon said he will be interested to learn what the oncologist recommends.

Margun

teaka- just I like to know what was recommended for you and I what test detected your tumour which was as you saying just 0.7mm? I thought all equipment have some limitations to detect such small mass.good luc

teaka123

Margun My tumor was 7mm HER2+ and the treatment is 12 weekly Taxol w/ Herceptin. After the 12 weeks I will continue with Herceptin every three weeks. This coming Thursday I will have my 9th chemo!!!! It has gone well overall as I have no neuropathy, nausea, etc. I am mostly tired. I did with to an oncologist and treatment center close to home. Also, cold capping is working very well!