HER 2

Hi Airlie, welcome and sorry to hear of your diagnosis, I hope you find the support you need here.

It's always scary to have the goalposts shifted on you during this ordeal, and unfortunately with BC that seems to happen quite a bit. I had mastectomy in April 2012 which uncovered 3 invasive tumours (lobular and ductal) and one of them was HER2+ alongside the hormone positive ones. That threw me initially, but I learnt that HER2 tumours respond really well to a treatment called Herceptin and I had that treatment for 12 months as well as chemo (Taxotere & Carboplatin) every 3 weeks over 5 months. I also had 5 weeks of radiotherapy.

Try not to get too worried about the long list of potential problems, you may not have too many issues at all but it is important that you let your oncologist and nurses know of anything you are experiencing as they can usually help you to manage the side effects. When you have Herceptin they also monitor your heart very closely (as reduced heart function can occasionally occur) so you will have a heart scan before treatment starts and regular ECG checks every few months. Most people seem to tolerate Herceptin really well with few side effects but again, if you do experience any issues let your doctor know asap. I finished treatment in July 2013 and have since had reconstruction. 

I hope all goes well with your treatment. Best wishes, Jane xx