HER2. Early stage, chemo or no chemo?

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Nana b
Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
edited August 2014 in Breast Cancer #1

My sister in law was diagnosed with breast cancer a month ago. She is getting her port and starts chemo soon. ONC told her because of HER2 chances of cancer coming back ate  huge. Has anyone here with HER2 denied chemo, and if so has it come back?   Her tumor was in the early stages and none foumd in lymph nodes. 

 

ONC says one year of chemo, that seems like a lot?

Thanks for for any information you can give.  

Comments

  • rrogers1935
    rrogers1935 Member Posts: 3
    #2
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    Her + said yes to Chemo and glad I did

    I was diagnosed in 2009 and was er and pr +.  I was only stage 1.  They told me then 5 years prior to that it would have been a death sentence. Now they have adjunct chem that directly fights the Her 2 gene.  I had 6 rounds of chemo and 32 rounds of radiation. It is very doable and ESPECIALLY if HER 2 + do chemo.  It's a personal choice but being early stages has nothing to do with HER 2. 

  • BlownAway60
    BlownAway60 Member Posts: 851
    #3
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    Her 2+

    I was dxd in 2009 with IDC, ER+, PR+ and Her 2 +. I am Stage 2a. I had a microscopic amount of cancer in my sentinnel lymph node. My tumor was small, 1.5 cm. I had a lumpectomy, 6 rounds of chemo, 32 radiation treatments and I took Herceptin for a year. Her 2 is an agressive type of cancer and Herceptin was specifically designed to treat it and it is normally recommended that it be taken for a year. This adjunctive therapy may be what your sister in law will be taking for a year, not chemo. I finished my Herceptin in Nov 2010. I am currently taking Femara for 5 years and will finish it in March of 2015. Femara is a hormone therapy speciffically designed to lower estrogen levels in the body.

    Hugs

    Donna

  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    #4
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    BlownAway60 said:

    Her 2+

    I was dxd in 2009 with IDC, ER+, PR+ and Her 2 +. I am Stage 2a. I had a microscopic amount of cancer in my sentinnel lymph node. My tumor was small, 1.5 cm. I had a lumpectomy, 6 rounds of chemo, 32 radiation treatments and I took Herceptin for a year. Her 2 is an agressive type of cancer and Herceptin was specifically designed to treat it and it is normally recommended that it be taken for a year. This adjunctive therapy may be what your sister in law will be taking for a year, not chemo. I finished my Herceptin in Nov 2010. I am currently taking Femara for 5 years and will finish it in March of 2015. Femara is a hormone therapy speciffically designed to lower estrogen levels in the body.

    Hugs

    Donna

    Thank you. Of corse, she is

    Thank you. Of corse, she is nervousness about the chemo.  

  • desertgirl947
    desertgirl947 Member Posts: 653 Member
    #5
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    Nana b said:

    Thank you. Of corse, she is

    Thank you. Of corse, she is nervousness about the chemo.  

    Do you know specifics about

    Do you know specifics about what she is nervous about in regards to chemo?  Maybe some of us here can identify with her concerns and can share here.

  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    #6
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    desertgirl947 said:

    Do you know specifics about

    Do you know specifics about what she is nervous about in regards to chemo?  Maybe some of us here can identify with her concerns and can share here.

    I'm out of town. I will try

    I'm out of town. I will try and get her on this forum.   I know she feels that she can't get through chemo. I'm stage 4 colorectal cancer, but don't know much about breast cancer.   I'm on my first reaccurance.

     

    I will ill chat with her. 

  • JMeyer1819
    JMeyer1819 Member Posts: 1
    #7
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    i was diagnosed Oct 1, 13

    i was diagnosed Oct 1, 13 with breast cancer.  I was 42 at the time of diagnosis but turned 43 the day before my surgery.  I am HER+ but estrogen negative.. i had the lumpectomy and 11 lymph nodes removed on 10/14/13.  10 of the lymph nodes were cancerous, but the 11ths was clean.. got clean margins on tumor removal and had PET scan, cancer free everywhere else.  I had 6 rounds of  Taxotere and Carbentin (sp) along with weekly herceptin during chemo.  I completed 35 rounds of radiation and continue to get the herceptin every three weeks and will continue that for a year.  So this november i should be done with that.  obviously i'm stilli n recovery but havign the herceptin every three weeks is definitely recommended.   once your sis-in-law gets through the chemo the herceptin is NOTHING.    my oncologist keeps having my heart checked to make sure it's ok from the drug and so far so good.

     

    i'm sure that she is incorrect about the chemo and that she will only need to do that for a few months and that hte herceptin will be for a year.  bleieve me it's worth it... i dont' remember the exact percentage but i know that my oncologist told me that taking the herceptin for a year with HER+ cancer greatly reduces the risk of return....   while i was going thorugh the chemo i thought my world was going to explode  it was so difficult i was really sick and vomiting and in the hospital a few times.. but now that i'm through it.. i would do it again b/c it's definitely better than the alternative!!!

    good luck to your sister in law... she will get through this.. WOMEN ARE STRONG and she will do great!!!

     

  • button2
    button2 Member Posts: 421
    #8
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    Her2

    I was diagnosed with Her2 Stage IIB in June 2012. I did everything the doctors said to a letter. Chemo before and after surgery, radical mastectomy, 33 rounds radiation. I took Herceptin for 1 1/2 years and am very glad I did. It was so easy compared to chemo. Just a couple of annoying things like thin flaky fingernails. Without Herceptin, the diagnosis is grim. I hope your sister in law feels better soon. Chemo doesn't last forever and you feel proud of yourself afterwards!

  • belindahill
    belindahill Member Posts: 144
    #9
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    Herceptin

    Hi, I was dx with breast cancer 8 weeks ago, I'm 56 , it was caught early, nodes neg. but I'm her2 poss, so I've had a mastectomy, and going to see my oncologist tomorrow , I've been told my treatment plan is chemo, herceptin , and tamoxifen 5 years. I'm worried about how I will cope with chemo. Take care. X

     

  • Puffin2014
    Puffin2014 Member Posts: 531 Member
    #10
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    belindahill said:

    Herceptin

    Hi, I was dx with breast cancer 8 weeks ago, I'm 56 , it was caught early, nodes neg. but I'm her2 poss, so I've had a mastectomy, and going to see my oncologist tomorrow , I've been told my treatment plan is chemo, herceptin , and tamoxifen 5 years. I'm worried about how I will cope with chemo. Take care. X

     

    chemo

    I'm 62, just finished my chemo. Side effects are manageable, much better meds now for dealing with them. I had no nausea, lost my hair of course but that will grow back and I like my free wig from the cancer society. My main issue is weak legs, but I'm gradually building up my strength, and will start radiation in Oct. Keep in close contact with your onc, report any side effects right away so you can stay on top of them. Knowledge is power.

  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    #11
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    Puffin2014 said:

    chemo

    I'm 62, just finished my chemo. Side effects are manageable, much better meds now for dealing with them. I had no nausea, lost my hair of course but that will grow back and I like my free wig from the cancer society. My main issue is weak legs, but I'm gradually building up my strength, and will start radiation in Oct. Keep in close contact with your onc, report any side effects right away so you can stay on top of them. Knowledge is power.

    thanks

    Thank you she had her first treatment and her white cell count is already low. She got worse a couple days after chemo.  I also have colon cancer and have been busy as she has. Hard to coordinate our time.   She got herinjection today and going back again tomorrow for another. Doc told her she lost 7 lbs in 4 days, she's dehydrated and she needs to drink and eat or she will be admitted to hospital. She has nausea and the runs.   She is weak. I couldn't really talk to her today.Making her a veggie soup tomorrow.   I don't know what chemo she is on, she went for a second opinion and that ONC changed her chemo.  

  • Butterfly Girl
    Butterfly Girl Member Posts: 2
    #12
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    BlownAway60 said:

    Her 2+

    I was dxd in 2009 with IDC, ER+, PR+ and Her 2 +. I am Stage 2a. I had a microscopic amount of cancer in my sentinnel lymph node. My tumor was small, 1.5 cm. I had a lumpectomy, 6 rounds of chemo, 32 radiation treatments and I took Herceptin for a year. Her 2 is an agressive type of cancer and Herceptin was specifically designed to treat it and it is normally recommended that it be taken for a year. This adjunctive therapy may be what your sister in law will be taking for a year, not chemo. I finished my Herceptin in Nov 2010. I am currently taking Femara for 5 years and will finish it in March of 2015. Femara is a hormone therapy speciffically designed to lower estrogen levels in the body.

    Hugs

    Donna

    Chemo and Her 2 +

    I have my meeting with my onocologist on Friday . I have several followers and friends giving me advice on Chemo and no Chemo. I was diagnosed just before Christmas .. Merry Christmas to me. with Her 2 + cancer. There were suspicious calcifcations found on my mammogram. I will never forget the call after my biopsy telling me I had cancer. I am 44 years old. I have been very heavy all my life. I made a change to be more healthy and go on Weight Watchers program . Lost 40 pounds, excersize , eat right and have been life time for 2 years. Now I go and find out I have Breast Cancer. I am convinced it is from diet . but I dont know. anyhow I had lumpectomy removing what the surgeon said was between 5 and 8 centimeters of cancer and after meeting with him again. My nodes were clean and borders are clear. And I took all Genetic testing and came back negative for all cancers.  I am due to meet with my Onocologist this Friday. I have very bad memories of Chemo.My mother died at 61 from Multiple Mylenoma and I just remember her being sick all the time. weak and tired. I support myself, I have no children and I work 3 different jobs to get by. I work with children for 2 of them one of which I am a Princess Party Entertainer. . and ladders and scaffold for the other. So I am very afraid of what the effects will be on me. I was told that my hormone level is excessive  by the doctor , surgeon. I know they are proably going to want to put me on early menopause. I am not sure yet if they will reccomend chemo to me. but if they do I am hesistant on going through with it. Especially being on this site it has opened my eyes to issues i never knew existed. I also have very terrible circulaton in my legs and veins in my legs  from hereditary and being heavy most of my life and I am afraid of possible blood clots. I also have cried more times than I care to mention. I try to just work on a project and not think about it . But here I am with the appointment 2 days away. Also if I am reccomended for Chemo and need to take treatment. Is there a better time of the year to take than other as far as side effects . I mean it is Winter now. but warm weather is right around the corner. just at a loss and wish this was just a bad dream I could fly out of.

     

  • Butterfly Girl
    Butterfly Girl Member Posts: 2
    #13
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    Puffin2014 said:

    chemo

    I'm 62, just finished my chemo. Side effects are manageable, much better meds now for dealing with them. I had no nausea, lost my hair of course but that will grow back and I like my free wig from the cancer society. My main issue is weak legs, but I'm gradually building up my strength, and will start radiation in Oct. Keep in close contact with your onc, report any side effects right away so you can stay on top of them. Knowledge is power.

    I saw you mentioned weak

    I saw you mentioned weak legs. I have vericose clumps on my left leg back side and along the top of my knee into my calf on my right leg. I have always had poor circulation and cramping up . I am afraid of what chemo may do to these veins. I was in process this year with insurance to get treatment for these procedures. but I got breast cancer and had to deal with that first. 

     

  • button2
    button2 Member Posts: 421
    #14
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    Another HER 2 lady!

    I see you got lots of great responses. Just to add my own 2 cents - anyone with this cancer should do all they can to beat it! I told the doctors to hit me with all they've got and never regreted it! Chemo before and after surgery, radiation, one and 1/2 yrs of Herceptin. I'm feeling better than ever 3 years later. You don't play around with this very dangerous cancer. Done right, it's treatable. Good luck to your SIL.

  • mschaben
    mschaben Member Posts: 87
    #15
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    Her 2 pos

    Sorry to hear about your sister in law.   I am 39 and was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma her 2 pos in November 2014.  Had bilateral masectomy with removal of fifteen lymph nodes which three of theM plus my sentinel lymph node had cancer as well.  I am stage II B grade 3 her 2 pos.  I just did my third round of chemo which consists of herceptin perjeta carboplatin and taxotere for six months then just herceptin for 11 months.  After the six months I will also go for radiation every day for six weeks as well as hormone therapy down the road.  after my first round I ended up hospitalized because of my white count being wiped out which made me neutrapenic.  Now after each treatment I get neulasta shot to help with that.  But so far each time I have had different side effects from vomiting to diarrhea.  Each time has been something different. Also have severe bOne pain. They give me all the pre meds and I take my prn meds for nausea but still always fight the nauseA.  It is a hard long road and I do have my days but I know the doctors know best especially with the her 2pos.  I just keep up the fight and hope your sister in law will not get discouraged. There is a lot of good advice and a lot of survivors stories on here. good luck to you mad your sister in law.  we are all fighters.. 

     

    Mary

  • GlowMore
    GlowMore Member Posts: 789 Member
    #16
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    Nana b said:

    thanks

    Thank you she had her first treatment and her white cell count is already low. She got worse a couple days after chemo.  I also have colon cancer and have been busy as she has. Hard to coordinate our time.   She got herinjection today and going back again tomorrow for another. Doc told her she lost 7 lbs in 4 days, she's dehydrated and she needs to drink and eat or she will be admitted to hospital. She has nausea and the runs.   She is weak. I couldn't really talk to her today.Making her a veggie soup tomorrow.   I don't know what chemo she is on, she went for a second opinion and that ONC changed her chemo.  

    Hi Nana b

    See where you have not been on this board since early Feb and hoping that all is well with you and the person you were writing about with the chemo issues etc.  Prayers for Strength & Courage.  Glo

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