HER2 - OR + WHAT ARE YOU????

maryannrogers said:

While We're On the Subject
Received pathology report.

Here it is:

Estrogen receptor positive (stains 80% of tumor cel nuclei)

Progresterine receptor positive (Stains 70% of tumor cell in nuclei

Low prolifera capacity (5% of tumor cell nuclei)

Lack of HER-wNUE gene amplification (Her-2NEU stain shows 0 our of 3+ staining)

Come on experts, give me some advice. Doctor said this was all good.

Maryann

Hey Maryann
I don't know for sure. You will need to have your doctor explain this. I think it does say

that you are ER and PR positive, which isn't good or bad. Just means they will put you on

hormone therapy. As for the rest, I don't know. Usually the size of your tumor is on there

too. From what I know, if your tumor is 2cm or larger, they almost always put you on chemo.

That is about all I know from what you wrote. Your doctor will help you and he is really

the only one that should. Good luck Maryann and let us know!

ladybug22 said:

i am her 2
i was on herceptin for a year. thank god for herceptin

If herceptin isn't chemo,
If herceptin isn't chemo, what is it? And, are there side effects? And, how long do you take it?

rjjj said:

I am.......
ER/PR neg. and HER2 pos.. I had 6 rounds of carboplatin, taxatere, and herceptin. I will have the Herceptin alone until Dec. or so.. I haven't had any problems with the Herceptin alone.
I have done 19 of 33 rad treatments. My tumor was 2.5 cm, and i had 6 lymphnodes out of 26 taken. I had a left-side mastectomy and wished I would have had a bilateal.
Thats it in a nutshell. and Tomaseena described Her2 pos. very well!
jackie

Thanks for the explanation!
Thanks Margo for this explanation. You explained it better than my oncologist! hmmmmmm Wonder if that is good or bad? lol

Oh, I am ER PR + and HER2 -

Love, Jeanne

susie09 said:

This post really explains
This post really explains the HER2 - or +. Thank you!

Sooooo..............
I am what? I was in such turmoil at the time I never thought of these questions.

I am on Tamoxifen, pre-menopausal, didn't have herceptin. Not a fast growing cancer but not looked at until it was over a year old.

I had chemo..3 FEC + 3 Taxotare..and 31 rads.

It would be nice to know.....Thanks Jxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

All of this information
All of this information should be on your pathology report, and, everyone should have that for their records. And, at the least, your oncologist should explain it to you. Or, I would hope so. But, Margo did great!

tommaseena said:

Hope this help explains it - I am HER2+
What is HER2?
Breast Cancer Patients - 25% HER2+ tumors
HER2+ Breast Cancer

Studies show that approximately 25% of breast cancer patients have tumors that are HER2+. HER2 stands for Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2. It is very important to find out your cancer's HER2 status. This is because HER2+ tumors tend to grow and spread more quickly than tumors that are not HER2+. In addition, the treatment of HER2+ breast cancer is different than the treatment of breast cancer that is not HER2+. Women who are uncertain of their cancer's HER2 status should talk to their doctor.
HER2+ breast cancer is aggressive, so it is important to find out your cancer's HER2 status. This can help your doctor choose which treatments may be right for you.
How is HER2 positive breast cancer different?

HER2 stands for Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2. Each normal breast cell contains copies of the HER2 gene, which helps normal cells grow. The HER2 gene is found in the DNA of a cell, and this gene contains the information for making the HER2 protein. 4

The HER2 protein, also called the HER2 receptor, is found on the surface of some normal cells in the body. In normal cells, HER2 proteins help send growth signals from outside the cell to the inside of the cell. These signals tell the cell to grow and divide. 4

In HER2+ breast cancer, the cancer cells have an abnormally high number of HER2 genes per cell. When this happens, too much HER2 protein appears on the surface of these cancer cells. This is called HER2 protein overexpression. Too much HER2 protein is thought to cause cancer cells to grow and divide more quickly. This is why HER2+ breast cancer is considered aggressive. 1-3

HER2+ breast cancer is aggressive, so it is important to find out your cancer's HER2 status. This can help your doctor choose which treatments may be right for you.
Higher risk of breast cancer returning (recurrence)

* Women with HER2+ breast cancer:
* May be less likely to respond to certain breast cancer treatments
* May be more likely to have a recurrence (return) of their cancer

Women who are uncertain of their cancer's HER2 status should talk to their doctor.
Inheriting the HER2 gene

Your tumor's HER2 status is not hereditary. This means that HER2 status is not passed down from your parents, and you can't pass it on to your children. However, there is a relationship between the genes in a person's DNA and breast cancer in general. Ask your doctor for more information about the relationship between genes and breast cancer. 4
HER2/neu-positive, HER2-overexpressing, and HER2+ breast cancer

HER2/neu is another name for HER2, which stands for Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2. HER2-overexpressing means there is too much HER2 protein/receptor on the surface of the cancer cells. HER2/neu-positive breast cancer and HER2-overexpressing breast cancer are exactly the same as HER2+ breast cancer. 4

Margo

Margo
Gad, I really must have been in more shock than I was or am aware. I don't remember any of this information. Only that I needed to get on the program ASAP. Thankful all is 8yrs. past but still worry every day. Thanks for the add knowledge. Kathryn

mariam_11_09 said:

I am her2+, ER equivocal and

I am her2+, ER equivocal and PR-. I was given a formal paper by the doctor indicating the staging, # of lymph nodes involved and characteristics of the breast cancer I have. It is almost like a certificate. Maybe I should frame it and hang it on the wall like a right of passage.

Her2
Although no cancer is good, if you have ER-/PR- and Her2+, that's about the most aggressive cancer there is. It's harder to keep control of because it also has protein receptors. That's where Herceptin comes in. Until it stops working or the cancer becomes resistent to it, it truly works wonders. Of course like any drug, it doesn't work for everyone. You must have a muga scan or echocardiogram about every 3 months to check heart function.

The newest approved replacement or alternative to Herceptin is Tykerb. It however is known to have possible complications to the liver. Thus, those of us who have mets to the liver are not candidates for Tykerb. There are however other targeted therapies being tested right now.

Knowledge of the many variations of cancer and how to treat them has come so far, especially in just the last 10 years. There was a time not so long ago that "cancer was cancer". Now they know to treat different kinds in different ways.

I for one am feeling a little like a guinea pig. I was having some positive results after 10 weeks on Taxol and Herceptin. Then my onc said it was time to stop Taxol so it's been just Herceptin for 8 weeks straight. Two weeks from today I'll have another scan "TO SEE" if Herceptin is working alone! If not, I'll be back on another taxane again. My fingers are crossed. (I also get Zometa every 4th week for the bone mets.)

Best wishes to all, Marsha

24242 said:

my understanding
It has only been in the last 7 years that they have broken the tumor codes so they now can find this all out. 14 years ago you only new stage and whether positive or negative. Wow I wish they would finally come along way with cancer with all the know about it.
Tara

My first cancer in 1994 I
My first cancer in 1994 I only knew I was estrogen neg. things have changed quite a bit.

Rague said:

I'm HER2 Neg.
The most aggressive form - I don't know what is. I'm IBC (YES I am currently riding NED) - a very aggressive form but I'm HER2-.

Sorry - I'm not understanding what your point is or what your are trying to say.

Susan

I am ER and PR + and HER2 -.
I am ER and PR + and HER2 -. That is what my path report says and my oncologist explained to me.


From what I know, if you are HER2+, you have a more aggresive bc. I think Margo explained it really well above.

Hugs, Megan