Hi @jayjen, sorry to hear that your sister has been diagnosed for a second time, it's so unfair, and I can understand your own worries about facing the same situation down the track but hopefully you will be alright.
I was diagnosed with both hormone positive and HER2 positive breast cancer in 2012 - I had 3 tumours, 2 invasive lobular that were hormone positive and a smaller but aggressive invasive ductal tumour that was HER2+. I had a mastectomy, chemo (6 cycles) and Herceptin (12 months), radiation and am now on hormone tablets. All is looking good (fingers crossed) as I head down the 5yr clear path.
Thankfully HER2 tumours can generally be really successfully treated with Herceptin, which is offered alongside chemo and although the treatment goes for 12 months it is an easier regime than chemo. Having the chemo before surgery can be a really good way to see how well the treatment is working as they'll be able to track any reduction in the tumour size.
It's hard to know whether any of us will face a recurrence so your breast surgeon is the best one to talk to about your particular situation as we are all so different on that front. Wishing both you and your sister all the best as you face this next challenge. Jane xx
