What % is negative??
Comments
-
I am hoping that someone can shed some light on this for me. My final path report stated that my IDC was 15% + ER and 40% + PR. My onc. had me do 4 AC and 4 Taxol and now has me on Tamox. My PS just told me her onc. consult says I am considered Triple Neg. and don't need the Tamox. I am really confused, anyone know what the real answer is?
-
I don't know about the % of hormones, but the key is your Her2 status also. Did they do a "FISH" test on your tumor? This is the only way to tell if you have over expression of the Her2 protein. You need to find this out. This well be very important for your treatment plan.
Your are kind of far out for them to just be making this discovery. It's time to take charge. Don't let them blow you off. They still possibly can run the Fish test this far out.
Flalady
-
Thanks FloridaLady, yes they did the fish and it was negative. I'm just confused about the conflicting advice and don't know whether to stay on the Tamox. or not.
-
I believe the 15 and 40 % does make you technically negative for hormone receptors insofar as typical treatment goes. I do recall reading the results of a study (or studies) of the benefits of tamoxifen in triple neg BC treatment where the hormone receptors weren't completely absent. Or was that HER2? Was in from San Antonio last year? I can't recall but I'll search it out for you.
-
I found this interesting 'cheat sheet'. Not that it answers your question but it does go into a fair amount of detail about receptors.
-
Thanks Twink, appreciate any info you might know of.
-
It is my understanding that and ER or PR of 10% or greater would suggest possible benefit from hormonal therapy.
According to http://breastcancer.about.com/od/diagnosis/p/hormone_status.htm
Estrogen and Progesterone Status Affects Diagnosis & Treatment of Breast Cancer: Estrogen and Progesterone biomarker tests results will appear on your pathology report. Understanding the test results is important, because this information affects your treatment as well as your follow-up care, if you've been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Why you need to know your hormone status: Estrogen and Progesterone receptor status tests will show whether or not one or both of those hormones fuel your tumor. Cancer that is hormone-sensitive is slightly slower growing and has a better chance of responding to hormone-suppression treatment, than cancer that is hormone receptor negative. Hormone-negative cancer will respond to other kinds of treatment, and hormone-suppression may not be needed.
Positive vs. Negative Estrogen Status: A score of Estrogen Receptor positive (ER+) means that estrogen is causing your tumor to grow, and that the cancer should respond well to hormone suppression treatments. If the score is Estrogen Receptor negative (ER-), then your tumor is not driven by estrogen, and your results will need to be evaluated along with other tests, such as your HER2 status, to determine the most effective treatment.
Positive vs. Negative Progesterone Status: If you get a Progesterone Receptor positive (PgR+ or PR+) score, the cancer should respond well to hormone suppression treatments. If the score is Progesterone Receptor negative (PgR- or PR-), then your tumor is not driven by progesterone, and another test is needed, for your HER2 status, to determine the most effective treatment. HER2 positive breast cancer responds well to Herceptin treatment.
When should you ask for a numerical score?: If your hormone status tests are scored only as negative, it is good to ask your doctor for a number that indicates the actual score. Even if the number is a low one, these kind of cancers may effectively be treated with hormone therapy.
Scores on these tests: On your pathology report, you may see the scores for Hormone Status. This is expressed as a number between 0 and 3. Here's how to understand the numbers:* 0 is no receptors found,
* 1+ is a small number,
* 2+ is a medium number, and
* 3+ is a large number of receptors.What is the percent of hormone receptors?: You may also find the number of cells out of 100 cells that tested positive for hormone receptors. This is written as a number between 0% (no receptors) and 100% (all cells have receptors).
What is the treatment?: Anti-estrogen therapy works by blocking the hormone receptors, so they can't signal cancer cells to grow. Some of the drugs that are widely used to treat hormone-receptor positive cancers are:* Tamoxifen
* Raloxifene
* Arimidex (chemical name: anastrozole),
* Aromasin (chemical name: exemestane), and
* Femara (chemical name: letrozole)
* Faslodex (chemical name: fulvestrant)How is the test done?: Unlike a blood test for estrogen, which helps to determine your menopausal status, this test does not use a blood sample. After your biopsy, a thin sample of the tissue will be examined and tested under a microscope.
-
BadBoob, thanks for that. I feel better and I think I have made the right decision to go ahead with the Tamox.
Categories
- All Categories
- 679 Advocacy and Fund-Raising
- 289 Advocacy
- 68 I've Donated to Breastcancer.org in honor of....
- Test
- 322 Walks, Runs and Fundraising Events for Breastcancer.org
- 5.6K Community Connections
- 282 Middle Age 40-60(ish) Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 53 Australians and New Zealanders Affected by Breast Cancer
- 208 Black Women or Men With Breast Cancer
- 684 Canadians Affected by Breast Cancer
- 1.5K Caring for Someone with Breast cancer
- 455 Caring for Someone with Stage IV or Mets
- 260 High Risk of Recurrence or Second Breast Cancer
- 22 International, Non-English Speakers With Breast Cancer
- 16 Latinas/Hispanics With Breast Cancer
- 189 LGBTQA+ With Breast Cancer
- 152 May Their Memory Live On
- 85 Member Matchup & Virtual Support Meetups
- 375 Members by Location
- 291 Older Than 60 Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 177 Singles With Breast Cancer
- 869 Young With Breast Cancer
- 50.4K Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis
- 204 Breast Cancer with Another Diagnosis or Comorbidity
- 4K DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)
- 79 DCIS plus HER2-positive Microinvasion
- 529 Genetic Testing
- 2.2K HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer
- 1.5K IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
- 3.4K IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)
- 1.5K ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)
- 999 Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis
- 652 LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ)
- 193 Less Common Types of Breast Cancer
- 252 Male Breast Cancer
- 86 Mixed Type Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned
- 189 Palliative Therapy/Hospice Care
- 488 Second or Third Breast Cancer
- 1.2K Stage I Breast Cancer
- 313 Stage II Breast Cancer
- 3.8K Stage III Breast Cancer
- 2.5K Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- 13.1K Day-to-Day Matters
- 132 All things COVID-19 or coronavirus
- 87 BCO Free-Cycle: Give or Trade Items Related to Breast Cancer
- 5.9K Clinical Trials, Research News, Podcasts, and Study Results
- 86 Coping with Holidays, Special Days and Anniversaries
- 828 Employment, Insurance, and Other Financial Issues
- 101 Family and Family Planning Matters
- Family Issues for Those Who Have Breast Cancer
- 26 Furry friends
- 1.8K Humor and Games
- 1.6K Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts
- 706 Recipe Swap for Healthy Living
- 704 Recommend Your Resources
- 171 Sex & Relationship Matters
- 9 The Political Corner
- 874 Working on Your Fitness
- 4.5K Moving On & Finding Inspiration After Breast Cancer
- 394 Bonded by Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Life After Breast Cancer
- 806 Prayers and Spiritual Support
- 285 Who or What Inspires You?
- 28.7K Not Diagnosed But Concerned
- 1K Benign Breast Conditions
- 2.3K High Risk for Breast Cancer
- 18K Not Diagnosed But Worried
- 7.4K Waiting for Test Results
- 603 Site News and Announcements
- 560 Comments, Suggestions, Feature Requests
- 39 Mod Announcements, Breastcancer.org News, Blog Entries, Podcasts
- 4 Survey, Interview and Participant Requests: Need your Help!
- 61.9K Tests, Treatments & Side Effects
- 586 Alternative Medicine
- 255 Bone Health and Bone Loss
- 11.4K Breast Reconstruction
- 7.9K Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 2.7K Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment
- 775 Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results
- 7.8K Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 50 Immunotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 7.4K Just Diagnosed
- 1.4K Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
- 5.2K Lymphedema
- 3.6K Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
- 591 Pain
- 3.9K Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 8.4K Surgery - Before, During, and After
- 109 Welcome to Breastcancer.org
- 98 Acknowledging and honoring our Community
- 11 Info & Resources for New Patients & Members From the Team