Pathology
Had my specialist appointment today. The margin was 6mm clear, not in the nodes, 90% oestrogen positive, 90% progesterone positve. HER2 not back yet. So good news that it has not got in the nodes so ...
Forum Discussion
beware of HER2+, read this
and also note that because herceptin costs about $50k a year, the oncologists use NHMRC guidelines to recommend adjuvant treatment and herceptin only if tumor is more 1cm, some oncologists do a bit more that discuss this if tumour >5mm. But NOT if it is less. Mine was less. And 12 month after "excellent prognosis, clear marging, negative node bla-bla" I have ended up with mets in liver, bones, lungs. Since then for past 2 yr and 10 mth I do "palliative treatment" to prolong my life. Kind of suck if you just turned 42 at the time of diagnosis and had 2 children of school age.
But doctors are not much concerned with the risks you take by being HER2+. my doc even did not bother to tell me I'm her2+ and did not warn me. But told me instead that "everything is great and i dont expect your cancer to return...ever". And yet that research from USA indicates that the risk is as much as 23% and it is very aggressive cancer, could turn metastatic very quickly. Even despite 6 mnth of chemo i still got some cancer cells eventually make to my brains and grew tumours in a matter of 2 month as much as 1.5cm. get rid of them was also very expensive piece of work.
Tatiana, resident of Adelaide, currently 45yo, may be still be around to be 46yo