Stage 2 Her 2 Postive

Cancer is scary for all of us. My doctor warned me years ago that reading about cancer would scare the bejeepers out of me and to leave it to him. Well, I suffer from a pathological case of curiousity and I didn't leave it just to him. I read and continue to read every last bit of data I can get, even if it means I don't always sleep soundly at night. And yes, a lot of it is still over my head, but not as much of it as there used to be. First of all, I know that if you are in stage 2 you were caught early. This is much better than stage 4, and I know stage 4 survivors that were given 2 months to live about 20 years ago. They are still around and raising their families thank you very much. They told me it helps to get to the best breast cancer center you can get to, keep up with the latest findings as best as you can, work with a doctor that listens to your needs, and follow up symptoms that might spell out trouble. Her 2 Positive cancer may not be as easy as Estrogen Positive cancer to treat. That kind might need only tamoxifen once a day to keep under control or one of the antiestrogens if the woman is in menapause. Someone with Her 2 Positive cancer will do better if they have chemo. There are also targetted treatments that work for Her 2 positive populations that don't work for folks with estrogen positive breast cancer. It is your oncologist's job to keep up on the latest drugs for the best results. You get to pick your oncologist. Think of him as your coach. He calls the plays and you run them as best as you can. When you run into problems, he will give you advice. Don't be afraid to call him when problems come up. (It is easier to fix little problems before they become big ones, so call sooner rather than later.) Since this game is more important than just a game of football, you want to be sure you have the best coach you can get to. If you are going to the local oncologist who treats all kinds of cancer and you are worried that the treatment he is recommending might not do the trick, consider a second opinion. Go to a nearby breast center with breast oncology specialists and review the gameplan he suggests with them. At least you will be confident that you are doing all you can. Every day new discoveries are being made in the field of breast cancer. Targetted treatments are the best thing that this generation of doctors has come up with. It makes it possible for some women to avoid treatments (and their side effects) when the treatment wouldn't have benefitted them anyways. But it also makes it possible to get the treatment you need when it will benefit you. On the horizon are many other treatments for cancer: vaccines, nano treatments, and different drugs to attack various targets in the cancer growth cycle. Each year brings new hope. So hang in there knowing that there are already some effective treatments for your kind of cancer. Know that more are on the way. And remember that statistics, even grim ones, only describe populations not individuals. One person told me that even if only 1 out of a hundred people who had the cancer he had lived 5 years, who's to say he wasn't going to be the one! I am not an optimist by nature, but I keep working at it. It may not ensure that I live any longer, but it will ensure that the life I get will be happier. So hang on to hope. God bless!

Please have hope! Many of the most exciting new treatments in Breast Cancer are for women with HER2+. Also there is another support group out there just for women that are HER2+

http://www.her2support.org/

Lots of support there for you from women who are living with HER2 disease. They can also help you find your hope. We all feel that way sometimes-you're not alone in this.

Hi hope12,

So glad that you found our boards here. If you check out the features, you'll see that there are also chat rooms, in which you can participate, and put you in real time contact with so many wonderful, inspiring people, from all over the country and even the world.

About the Her/2: I was dx'd Stage I, Hormone Neg., Strongly Her2 @ 3+. Was told straight away that my cancer, while small, was very aggressive. One place where I had a consult (I had my pathology slides sent to them, for my scheduled consult there) actually did further tests on the cells and found it to be, almost 100% Her2. I didn't ask for that further test, but being a resarch facility, I suppose they couldn't resist. LOL

I had 3 consults, regarding treatment. One facility, (world renowned for cancer treatment) suggested that I have the gold standard of A/C and also be placed into a trial using Herceptin.

I had gotten myself educated on the ususal drugs of choice for BC and standard approaches to treatment, etc., and I was pretty much NOT interested in taking Herceptin. The research then, as now, acknowledges the risk of heart damage with Herceptin. Sometimes transient and sometimes permanent. Problems can also surface, 5-10 years post therapy. Others apparently have no problems at all. It just was not someting I was willing to have. While there's also risks of heart damage with Adriamycin, it's compounded, according to all the research, when one also has Herceptin. I researched, studied, talked with other's often and talked with more doctors than I care to remember and made the choice of no Herceptin. Everyone is different.

This was back in 2001 mind you and I'm still here. I've experienced no mets, no recurrences and no new cancers. I do however, now have a mild cardiomyopathy, which my doctors attribute to the Adriamycin. I'm doing everything possible to see that it doesn't progress. I need that like a hole in the head, of course, but there it is and so we deal with whatever we must. In retrospect, since my heart was sensitive to the Adria., Herceptin probably would have been a disaster for me. I think our little internal voices, if we take the time to calm down, listen and respond, really do know what they're saying! LOL

With the exception of the cardiomyopathy issue, I've been as healthy as a horse. So, nothing really to whine about...not that it would be productive anyway! It seldom is! LOL

Hope that may help calm your fears somewhat. I know it's difficult when we hear so many stories and sometimes some of the info we come into, is conflicting at best. Just continue your treatment for now and try to focus on YOU and your peace of mind. It's worth the energy, every single day, to make sure that you sit down and say to yourself: I CAN DO THIS. I WILL DO THIS AND I WILL DO IT WELL! I WILL USE EVERY RESOURCE AVAILABLE TO ME AND I WILL HAVE HOPE! Don't spend every waking moment with your head into research, into worry and being fearful. Each day is a gift to be lived and shared so please don't become so distraught that you forget that! Make time for fun things too. If you're feeling overwhelmed, I'd suggest that you see a therapist for some help. We all need and benefit from help sometimes and knowing when we could use a bit of help is is the only part that matters, toward getting to it. Practice some relaxation techniques, give yourself some treat time, such a bubble soaks, if you enjoy them at all. Sneak off one day to a spa and get the "works" for yourself and laugh all the way home and feel good for days! Whatever helps is worthwhile.

HAVE HOPE! Hope is a beautiful thing and in my humble opinion, you have EVERY REASON to have lots of it. I'm here, as are many others who were/are Her2. And what of the women diagnosed with BC 25 years ago before anyone ever heard of Her2 or Herceptin? All things being equal, we can assume that the same percentage of those women actually had Her2, in numbers comparable to those who have it now. Only difference is that there's a test for it now and there wasn't then. So many times, (and most of us know people who have experienced this) one gets a dire prognosis, yet here they are, 20 and 30 years later! Now if that doesn't inspire hope, I don't know what may do it!!! I LOVE such stories of peoples triumphs! Just shows us that science and/or doctors do not know and cannot know outcomes. While they must pride themselvs on "predicting" and quoting statistics, we have to cut them some slack, because, honestly, that's the only tools they have when it comes to "guessing" on our behalf. Many times, we, as individuals, have other plans. SO YOU HOPE, SHE, AND YOU HOPE BIG!

Please let us know how you're doing and when you feel up to it, check out chat and some of the other features here that can be helpful, but also, just plain fun.

Love, light & laughter,
Ink