Triple positive confirmed.

Hi!

To be HER2+ means that your breast cancer cells include an overexpression of the protein HER, which encourages your cells to replicate. So, yes, your cancer is of an aggressive type and may have spread to your lymph nodes. But, that's not always the case. Right now, you have to be concerned about the cancer in your breast; unless it has metastasized it is probably a localized invasion.

In the past, women who had HER2+ cancer had the worst outcomes. But, nowadays, thanks to targeted therapies like Herceptin and Perjeta, the outcomes of HER2+ cancer have improved. No, it doesn't matter whether you get a lumpectomy or a mastectomy in terms of outcomes. Despite having a 5 cm. tumor and one lymph node involved, I had a lumpectomy after neoadjuvant chemo.

Because you are HER2+, however, you will probably get some chemo, maybe Taxol (with Herceptin) and then Herceptin for the rest of the year. I do know that Stage I HER2+ patients have less intensive chemo than those of us who were Stage III.

Good luck, and feel free to post on the triple positive thread. It's full of very helpful women.

Gooseberry,

Hey there, I'm a triple positive too. My tumor was 7mm very small, no nodal involvement, but HER2+. I had breast cancer once before on the other side when I was in my 30's and that time I was triple negative. 25 years later I was diagnosed on the other side with Triple positive BC. I just completed Taxol/herceptin chemo 1 time a week for 12 weeks. It's the new recommended protocol for people with HER2+ tumors less than 1 cm and no nodes involved. If you're HER2+ you will be doing some form of chemo as it tends to be aggressive even if the size is small and no nodes are involved. The Taxol/herceptin is followed by Herceptin alone 1 time every 3 weeks for the rest of the year. Herceptin is a monoclonal antibody that goes right after the HER2, it's technically not a chemo so there are no or minimal side effects. Taxol is considered a "gentler" form of chemo, it still causes hair loss, but I cold capped at the suggestion of my doctors at UCSF and kept all my hair. Here I am just 2 months after chemo..uh, that's my spinach from my garden. If you're worried about keeping your hair during chemo I highly recommend cold capping, there are lots of forums about it here on the site. It's a pain in the ass as it takes time, BUT works exceptionally well with the taxol/herceptin combo..as you can see and also affords one the privacy of not having to explain hair stuff to everyone. If you didn't know I was having chemo, you would never notice anything, it worked that well. The 12 week deal means you are getting a much milder dose, one time a week for 3 months, rather than a larger dose every three weeks. It's more weeks which is no no picnic as far has having to go in every week, but my doctors said it's gentler on the system that way. I found it to be so, as the chemo I had 25 yrs ago was CMF every 3 weeks.

Be careful with Lord Google as a lot of the data on HER2+ is very outdated, and as my oncologist who's the co head of the comprehensive Cancer Center at UCSF told me if you have to have a mutation..that's the one to have right now because they have something for it and ore in the pipeline. 10 or 15 years ago it was a different story. You will find a lot of great information here on this site, and plenty of people who are dealing with the same stuff. Don't be afraid to ask questions here, and of your doctors. You are your best advocate in this. Feel free to private message me if you need any other info.