HER2 negative now HER2 positive
Hi, I have had biopsies which showed hormone positive HER2 negative cancer. I had over 6 months of neoadjuvant chemo before bilateral mastectomy surgery and the results from the surgery shows my canc...
Forum Discussion
Whilst my biopsy results didn't change my pathology it did change my grade. My cancer was a grade 3 not 2 as my biopsies had shown. A biopsy takes just a small part of the tumour. Herceptin isn't as difficult to tolerate as chemo is. You will probably have to have a couple of rounds of a taxane type chemo with it initially even if for 1 or 2 doses. Hopefully the auxiliary clearance will find no more nodes or very few. Know that chemo is very effective on her2 cancers and even though a delay it would have kept it at bay. The next part will starve any possible stray cells off. I can imagine the thought of more treatment feels overwhelming but for most women radiotherapy is tolerated well and herceptin certainly allows recovery to continue and you will start feeling quite normal again. Whilst I had heart issues with herceptin, once chemo was done I did feel heaps better and was back working and just popped down and had my dose during the day without issues.
The frustrating thing is the changing plans and I get that. One of the first things I accepted is we aren't in control of the course our cancer and treatment take. We can make informed choice but when things alter we have to sccept the plan will too. My herceptin was stopped at number 11. It was very upsetting for me and I was scared what that would mean. I came to terms with the change. I focussed on what they said. "Your cancer has been removed. You had response to chemo. You had 6 months of herceptin." I eventually accepted these as okay and with the concern..."we don't want the treatment to cause permanent damage." I get that now. But at the time I was devastated and angy I wasn't in control of the decision.
It's easy to feel angry and feel the Drs incompetent that the pathology is different. They will be frustrated and angry as you are, but less of the emotional response we have of course. But this is why the cancers are sent to pathology again.
So trust in your team. And take care. You still have a road ahead and we are here for you. Kath x
The frustrating thing is the changing plans and I get that. One of the first things I accepted is we aren't in control of the course our cancer and treatment take. We can make informed choice but when things alter we have to sccept the plan will too. My herceptin was stopped at number 11. It was very upsetting for me and I was scared what that would mean. I came to terms with the change. I focussed on what they said. "Your cancer has been removed. You had response to chemo. You had 6 months of herceptin." I eventually accepted these as okay and with the concern..."we don't want the treatment to cause permanent damage." I get that now. But at the time I was devastated and angy I wasn't in control of the decision.
It's easy to feel angry and feel the Drs incompetent that the pathology is different. They will be frustrated and angry as you are, but less of the emotional response we have of course. But this is why the cancers are sent to pathology again.
So trust in your team. And take care. You still have a road ahead and we are here for you. Kath x