Just diagnosed with HER2 pos and KI-67: 26%

CaliforniaCloud · January 2009

Not sure, but I don't think this is a good combination.

Discovered lump on Jan 12th, biopsy Jan 14th, lumpectomy with sentinel lymphnode on Jan 19th. Received the pathology report on Jan 27th.

Have ultrasound scheduled for Feb 2nd to see if I qualify for local radiation.

Will I have to do chemotherapy? Will I want to do chemotherapy?

I am glad to have found this site because if the news isn't so great, I would rather share my feelings here than with my family.

REKoz · January 2009

Hi CA Cloud-

I am not sure what the KI-67 means, but I am HER pos. as well. I had IDC just about 1cm but 2 cms of DCIS as well and hormone pos. In other words, our cancer differences may make your treatment very different. But the HER2 does make it a more aggresive cancer which they treat with Herceptin for one year. I think the general belief is the efficacy of Herceptin is more successful when accompanied by chemo. Again, it could be different for you but I have 4 months of chemo and one year of Herceptin as my life right now. Just started in January. Good luck to you. These boards are a weath of information and support.

Ellen

bre · January 2009

Hi Cloud, Sorry you had to join us. It depends on the spin you put on your reports. Some will say er/pr neg is bad because they don't know what feeds it but some will say good because you don't have to do hormonal therapy. Some will say her2+ is bad because it is more aggressive but some will say good because we have herceptin to treat it. They generally feel now that all her2+ be treated with herceptin no matter the size. I would think you would want rads with a lumpectomy....it has the same success rate for less recurrence as a mastectomy. Chemo is another decision to talk over with an oncologist and weigh the risks and benefits. Herceptin seems to work better with a chemo drug. I was 49 when diagnosed and consider young for bc. Tumor 1.7cm plus malignant microcalcifications, er+/pr-/her2+++. Did chemo - 4 rounds of adriamycin and cytoxan. herceptin wasn't approved yet so didn't have it. It's been almost 5 years and I'm doing well. Don't give up. There is life after all this. I can remember feeling depressed and feeling like I wouldn't live to see my kids graduate. There are some anxious days in all this and if it's too much to handle all the time, talk to your family dr about antianxiety med if you need it occasionally. Let me know if I can help more.

Sassa · January 2009

Hi, California Cloud?

KI 67 is a measure of how fast the cancer cells are dividing (basically given as a percentage of cells dividing at a point in time). Forty percent and above is considered fast growing (aggressive) so 26 % is good news.

We basically have the same diagnosis except my tumor was grade 3 with a much higher KI 67.

I did 4 AC and a year of herceptin (no rads as I had a mastectomy).

Lories · January 2009

Hi CaCloud, I am waiting on results of the FISH test since I showed HER2+. I am also waiting on the Oncotype test results. I begin rads next week.

I am also very similar in dx to REKoz, so will be interested to hear what comes next. edited due to typos.

CaliforniaCloud · January 2009

Ellen, Bre, Sassa, and Lories,

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my post. I did not do a lot of research initially because I didn't have any information on my biopsy (other than positive for cancer), my tumor, or sentinel nodes. I was concerned that I would focus on each worst case scenario and needlessly scare myself. Ha! But when I got the path report and found that I was HER2+ I started to do a little research. Little by little the chances of my having to have chemo seemed more and more certain. I was sort of hoping to walk away from it all and just take my chances with reoccurance, but HER2+ seems to take that option off the table.

Okay, denial phase is over. I accept it, chemo will be part of my treatment plan. However, I am concerned about the chemo dosages. It seems I have a chemical tolerance of a child--I have to take the child dose of any medication I take--and I worry about my reaction to the chemo drugs. Can you have chemo in lighter doses for a longer period of time, or are the dosages standardized and you just pray for the best?

I suppose you all know this, having already travelled this portion of the journey, but I feel so much better knowing that I have a place to come for support and answers. Thank you very much, ladies.

Cloud

Lories · January 2009

Hi Cloud, I may be missing something, but I think the HER2+ is for Herceptin, which is not chemo, you can look up Herceptin online and their web page explains a lot.

Also, I think it is the negative ER/PR which are the trigger for chemo, if you were positive for those you could have 5 years of hormone pills. But I am no expert, that will be up to your oncologist to guide you.

What test did they do for the HER2? I have heard that the FISH test is the gold standard, so that is what my doc ordered, following the first path report, I am still waiting to hear on that. Sounds like you will have lots to ask.

ipohgirl · February 2009

Dear Bre,

Hi there! Just got my path report, and they're similar to yours except for the size of my tumour, which is 2.6cm.

ER (+) PR (-) and HER (+++).

They recommended biweekly chemo (PC X6) or ACX4, herceptin and radiotehrapy, with hormone treatment to be discussed. Doc said we could try adrimycin too, but not together with the herceptin.

i read about the dreadful side effects of taxol, is adrimycin a wee bit better?

also, to combine chemo and herceptin is a bit too much on my heart, right? i was thinking could i do herceptin and the hormone treatment, then blast those b.......dy cells later with chemo and RT?

Will see another oncologist ot get second opinion.

hugs, dear sisters.

ipohgirl

Doc is going to put me on Taxol plus herceptin for a year, then starting the

ipohgirl · February 2009