Her2 question

Loveshermother
Loveshermother Member Posts: 101
edited June 2014 in ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)

Good Morning Ladies,

I have a question and I feel kind of stupid. I was reading about her2 and all this time I thought my mom was her2 + until I read this..

Immunohistochemistry (IHC)

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) can show how much of the HER2 protein is present in the tumour sample. The HER2 level is graded from 0 to 3+.

  • 0-1+ means that a normal amount of the HER2 protein is present and the result is HER2-negative
  • 2+ means that a moderate amount of the HER2 protein is present
  • 3+ means that there is a higher than normal level of HER2 protein and the result is HER2-positive.

My mothers report is HER2 +1. If I read this right dose this mean she is negitive? Then my next question is does this make her a triple negitive. Im so confused. Its been over a year and I feel so stupid. Thank you in advance for your help.

Penny

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • dlb823
    dlb823 Member Posts: 9,430
    edited March 2011

    Penny, you need to ask her oncologist how her Her2 was determined.  Was it by a test known as FISH?  That's the most sensitive test and is frequently used when Her2 readings are borderline, which Her+1 is considered.  It's a test that labs send out to have done, so results often come in a few days after the main pathology report.  Initial reports are often done by a less sensitive test than FISH, so her results should have been sent out for a FISH to be sure.   

    If done by FISH, and if coming up +1, that would be Her2-.  You should also ask (unless you have it in her surgical pathology) what % her ER & PR were.  We they actually 0%?      Deanna  

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Loveshermother
    Loveshermother Member Posts: 101
    edited March 2011

    Thank you deanna and ellen.

     My mom has a dr appt with her onocologist on friday and I will ask him then. I proably should have know all this but we failed to ask very few questions at the time. We were going threw so much at the time beyond her bc that things happened so fast that it was hard to keep up with it all. Now that we are past all of it, it seems like I have some time to get it all put together and finally understand it all. She did see her reg dr last week and he will be checking the spot on her lung in may. So we wait. I will also be asking him for all her reports sence I never knew we were allowed to have them. Thank you for your responces.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Loveshermother
    Loveshermother Member Posts: 101
    edited March 2011

    Thank you Ellen. You all have been so wonderful.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mymountain
    mymountain Member Posts: 184
    edited March 2011

    Penny,

    Here is some information about the both types of her2 testing. Hope this helps!

    Mine was done via the IHC .  Results of +1 were reported to be "normal expression" or negative. 

    the page wont load so I'll type it out

    www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article/PMC2706184/  dx5/08 ILC 1cm/dcis in margins stage l grade ll 0/3 nodes er+pr- her2-,mast/diep recon

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Loveshermother
    Loveshermother Member Posts: 101
    edited March 2011

    Thank you mymountain,

     Moms appointment is today. I have called and asked for all her reports. Hopefully we will get enough time to be able to ask some questions. He is usually pretty good about giving us time. I am trying so hard to learn all of this. There is so much to learn. You have all been so wonderful in answering my questions. Im sure once I get all the reports I will have even more questions. Mom has been a little sluggish this week, I think its her new cholesterol meds. They had to take her off the other one due to side effects. Not to mention its been a long winter and everyone is ready for spring here in the northeast. Have a great day!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Loveshermother
    Loveshermother Member Posts: 101
    edited March 2011
    Well mom went to the dr today and she is indeed a triple neg. So that explains to me why she never had anymore treatments after the chemo. So pretty much the way he said it was that we do scans and blood work every 6 months and that is how we keep a eye on things. So now its time to educate myself on triple neg bc. They didnt get me all her paperwork of past scans and blood work due to thier copier was out of ink. I hope to get them however by the end of the day. They will also look at the lung nodule that was seen on her last pet scan in november. It was to small (9mm) last time to really do anything with it so they will check it again with her next scans and we go back in april to get the results. SO any advise or information would be appricated. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Loveshermother
    Loveshermother Member Posts: 101
    edited April 2011

    Hello,

    Im back..with more confusion. I reviewed her pathology report and it say ER + 30 %. and PR - and her2 +1 ( which I understand means neg). why am I having such a hard time with getting to understand all of this.  Mom has just completed all of her scans pet,ct,bone and chest Xray. blood work tomorrow and then we wait. Hopeing for good news. Dose anyone have a good book on breast cancer that they can recommed. Its so hard understanding it all. Thank you all! Happy Thursday

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • dlb823
    dlb823 Member Posts: 9,430
    edited April 2011

    Penny, ER+ 30% is ER+.  It's not strongly positive, but I don't believe I've ever heard 30% being termed negative.  Was that from her surgical pathology?  (Sometimes the biopsy pathology can be a bit different b'cuz it samples only scattered areas of the tumor, but the surgical pathology is based on thoroughly testing the entire tumor.)

    I believe Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book has recently been updated and might be one to look at picking up.  Otherwise, have you looked at the informational side of BCO?  It's the bar at the very top of the page.  There's tons of excellent information there.  Click on Symptoms & Diagnosis; then use the search box on that page.     Deanna

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Loveshermother
    Loveshermother Member Posts: 101
    edited April 2011

    Thank you so much. I have been going over all ther reports from the beginning, and writing down questions to ask her dr. We see him on 4/22/11 to get all the readings from her new scans. Thank you all so much for the help. You all have been wonderful. Have a great friday!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Loveshermother
    Loveshermother Member Posts: 101
    edited April 2011

    Good Mornig Ladies,

    I am looking at my mothers oncotype DX and this is how it reads. ER scord 8.7 (+)

    PR score 5.0 (-), Her2 Score 9.2 (-). She has never been given any other meds for recurrence. Her recurrence score is 30.  She is was 74 years old when she was diagnosed with ILC in july of 2009. She had a left radical mastectomy. She has 4 chemo treatments. She has been having all scans every 6 months. She just finished her new scans last week and we have to wait till 4/22 for her new readings. The scans done in Nov/Dec. If you dont mind I would like to know that with her scores has anyone had follow up meds to prevent any recurrence. She will be 77 in june of 2011. Also her pet scan in dec had something in it that I'm not sure if they ever told us.

     It reads as follows. Low level activity associated with degenerative changes in the thoracic spide as well as in several small cervical lymph nodes not pathologic by sixe criteria nor by magnitude of metabolic activity. Tiny lymph nodes in the left axilla have physiologic uptake. Extensive atherosclorotic calcifications are noted in the coronary arteries, thoracic aorta, abdominal aorta and perpheral vasculature. There is a mild fusiform aneurysmal dilatation of the infrarenal aorta to 3.0 CM. Mild rena atrophy is present.

     The aneurysym was told to us and I do know that are watching it. But what does all the other stuff mean?

    I know she is being watched very closley and it means alot to me. I just want to understand it all. One minute I think I have a clue and other times I feel so lost with all the information. I have as you all have suggested to write down all my questions to go over with the dr. Some times the waiting is just so hard. Mom is doing well but lately she has just felt blahh. I think we all need some nice weather and get outside. When they did her CT scan last week they came back and re-did the scan around her right side breast wall and her pelvis. Not sure what all that was about and I was not with her for that scan. I asked her if she knew why and she said she didnt ask. You see I always make it a point to be with her for all scans/dr appts but this one I couldnt make and it became a nightmare. It was suppose to be a CT with contrast and they didnt do it that way so they had to do it all over again. Then they came back again to get the other pictures of ther breast (rightside) and pelvis. Blahhh.

    Thank you all for letting me take your time to read this. I hope I didnt jump around to much or make this to long. Any advise you can provide will be appriciated and I hope you all have a fantastic weekend. I'm going prom dress shopping with my daughter and her sister. She be a fun filled day!

    Hugs to you all!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Gitane
    Gitane Member Posts: 1,885
    edited April 2011

    My Oncotype scores were similar. ER 8.3, PR 5.8 Her2 negative.  I was 57 when diagnosed.  I had chemo at that time.  I have been given Femara (aromatase inhibitor) and Zometa infusions every 6 months.  I really can't comment on the scan results; I just don't know enough about it.  Good luck to your mom.  G.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories