HER2 equivocal?

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Kkmay
Kkmay Member Posts: 156
edited March 2019 in Stage III Breast Cancer

Hi Ladies!

The pathology report of my mother is er-/pr- and HER2 equivocal (not positive nor negative) ? What does that mean? Can she receive targeted therapy for having HER2 equivocal? Anyone had a similar experience?

Does my mom need another biopsy to confirm the diagnosis?

Any help is appreciated.

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  • Ingerp
    Ingerp Member Posts: 2,624
    edited March 2019

    Have they done the FISH test yet? HER2 status frequently comes out equivocal on the first test but FISH (besides taking longer) is more definitive.

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  • Kkmay
    Kkmay Member Posts: 156
    edited March 2019

    I believe this is the result of the fish test. Not sure though :/

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  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited March 2019

    I was her2 (+2) but FISH test said her2 negative so did oncodx. I wasn't offered herceptin. I was stage 1, grade 1 and 2, 2 one centimeter tumors one ilc one idc, oncodx score 34 er+ 95% pr negative. I chose AI therapy alone.

    I had left side mastectomy with DIEP reconstruction.

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  • Ingerp
    Ingerp Member Posts: 2,624
    edited March 2019

    Have you gotten a copy of the full path report? All tests and results should be on there.

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  • Kkmay
    Kkmay Member Posts: 156
    edited March 2019

    No, unfortunately I haven’t got a full copy of the report. I will try to get a hold of it. I asked my mom she is not sure but she thinks they performed FISH

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  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited March 2019

    Let us know if they think she could be treated with Herceptin or similar drug. Good luck.

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  • Kkmay
    Kkmay Member Posts: 156
    edited March 2019

    Hi Ladies

    Today we received the pathology report and it is HER NEGATIVE. Therefore, my mother has triple negative brest cancer.


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  • Megsed
    Megsed Member Posts: 4
    edited March 2019

    After my initial core biopsy, I was Her2- but my path report after my bmx revealed I am also Her2 equivocal (according to FISH), meaning my tumor is heterogeneous. If the FISH is done well by a skilled pathologist, that is the final result and there is no need to repeat. It’s up to the discretion of her oncologist. I’m at Dana Farber with one of the top oncologists in the nation and she felt it was unnecessary to repeat the test. Being Her2 equivocal essentially means one is borderline or slightly positive. It is unusual and there is no clear cut way to treat these cases. They held a tumor board on me for that reason and decided to put me on Herceptin and Perjeta as well as six more months of an oral chemo. I am young with high risk Stage III, however, so what they recommend for your mom will depend on the specifics of her case, including her age. If she is ER-/PR-, they will likely treat her as a triple negative case now from what I understand (in other words, default to the worst subtype to guarantee aggressive therapy). Hope that helps. Good luck!

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