Anti Hormone Therapy for ER-/PR- HER2+ Breast Cancer

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Kimm992
Kimm992 Member Posts: 135
edited November 2015 in HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer

Was wondering if anyone else has heard of this??

My doctor has my treatment plan outlined like this:

1. Chemotherapy (FEC)
2. Chemotherapy/Targeted Therapy (D-H)
3. Surgery
4. Radiation
5. Anti Hormone Pills

I've never heard of taking anti hormone pills for ER-/PR- breast cancer. I'm wondering if maybe it's because of my age (35) and he's trying to prevent a recurrence of breast cancer that might be ER+/PR+ in the future?

Any ideas? I plan to ask him myself but don't see him again for a couple of weeks so thought I'd post here and see if anyone might have insight!

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  • Skittlegirl
    Skittlegirl Member Posts: 428
    edited October 2015

    I haven't, but I am new-ish here.

    I am on TCHP for 6 rounds (and continuing herceptin for 1 year)

    Then surgery

    Then radiation (5-7 weeks)

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  • igay1ord
    igay1ord Member Posts: 193
    edited October 2015

    My oncologist was going to go the "anti-hormone"/radiation with no chemo route until I showed up as HER2+. He then decided he wanted me to do chemo for 4 months, off 4 months (this is when I'll do radiation), then back on for 4 months with Herceptin only. His explanation to me was that even though I just went 1 year without a period, my ovaries were still producing hormones very well! He said the anti-hormones would counter-act what my ovaries were producing, reducing my chances of a recurrence of my breast cancer.

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  • scrunchthecat
    scrunchthecat Member Posts: 269
    edited October 2015

    Kimm992 - My understanding is that the usual treatment for HER2+ (ER-, PR-) is THP (Taxotere, Herceptin, Perjeta), although if you are not Stage 3 or 4, they might modify that and drop the Perjeta. Because of your young age, your doc might be giving you very strong treatment upfront, and the anti-hormonal might be, as you suggested, a prophylactic to prevent any future troubles with ER+. How HER2+ are you? If you are weakly positive, he may be giving you something closer to what a triple-negative person might get.

    You should ask your doctor these questions. If you are uncomfortable doing this, you could ask him in e-mail - most systems let you send e-mail directly to your doctor.

    Good luck!

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  • MaineRottweilers
    MaineRottweilers Member Posts: 156
    edited November 2015

    I wish I had been put on AI after I was done with TCH. If I had been, I may not be dealing with Stage IV right now. When my cancer came back, it came back in bone and the pathology changed from ER-/PR- HER2+++ in the original breast tumor to ER-/PR+ HER2+++ in my spine. It's entirely possible that your MO wants to give you every possible protection to keep your cancer gone. Cancer always mutates and tries to find a way to survive. Mine survived by becoming PR+ and I have to wonder if I had been on an AI during that year and a half that I believed I was cured, if I might still be living like I thought I was cured. I will never know but I do know, in hind sight, that if my MO offered me an AI, even if it's not strictly indicated, I would take it for as long as I could tolerate it.

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