i was told from my biopsy thatmy bc is hormone negative will that mean triple negative or just one of them? and wot lies ahead is this a bad thing or a good thing ?
maz
Maz your full dx depends on the Her2 result.If that is negative then you are indeed tn.If it is positive then you may be eligible for herceptin which will help prevent recurrence.No bc is good and your overall prognosis depends on many things-lymph nodes,Grade,tumour size etc.
Good Luck
Valx
it could be herceptin positive and hormone negative Honeybee, but the herceptin test often takes a little while longer to get the results.
and sometimes when they actually remove the tumour they will retest it and the results can sometimes change…
eg some units will refer to ER 2 as being negative, but if its retested it may be a 3 which would be oestrogen poor but not neg.
hope that makes sense.
Hi honey bee
Being hormone negative doesn’t automatically mean triple negative. You will also be tested to see if you are her2 +. Sometimes they like to remove the whole tumour to test for her2, but I have heard of others having a FISH test to find out and I am not sure if you need the whole tumour or just a biopsy. Triple negative means er- pr- and her2-.
I am er and pr - but her2+.
As for a good thing it’s hard to tell. Obviously as a women you are producing hormones so if your cancer is being fed by them that’s not good. But tamoxifen helps stop this and it seems to be pretty effective. Her2+ cancer have the reputation of being aggressive, but herceptin is a relatively new but hopeful improvement in treatment. Triple negative means that Chemo and rads are the main treatments and after that there are no further therapies at the moment. I have heard the tn cancers respond well to Chemo.
We are have reasons to worry about out dx. But until you have the full picture it is hard to get your head around it all. I would talk to your BCN about what tests are being done and when.
Good luck.
Debx
guess ill wait for the results to come in on the 13th had tumor removed last week with nodes hate this waiting game more so when i was told they would have test back by monday but they had to talk about my next step first thanks anyways
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Oh heck - that was breast surgeon not beast!
Hi Loupylou,
I’ve decided just to shave my hair off too, I don’t want to freak my 6 year old out by having less and less hair each day (and myself) I think I’ll go to my hairdressers after hours, take a bottle of wine or two, some close friends and have a laugh! i think thats the only way I’ll cope.
Can I ask you two things - what is a buff and what’s this about toe nails? Are we able to wear those false eye lashes you can get, the one’s that are individually put on? the whole idea of losing eyebrows and eyelashes seems weird!
I asked my onc if I can be referred for genetics as I read somewhere that you are more likely to carry the BRAC1 gene if you are TN and I have a daughter so I want to find out for her sake.
Jo xxx
A buff is a soft jersey tube which can be worn in many different styles[leaflet comes with it]available online or from Black’s Outdoor and other similar shops.If you paint your toenails [and fingernails] a dark colour pre taxotere you are less likely to lose them.Cant help re false eyelashes I’m afraid.
love Valxx
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Hi Val & Lou,
I’ve actually bought 3 of those buff things without knowing what they were called from T K Maxx. I’ve never heard about the nails being affected - is it only certain chemos that do this or is it all! as if we dont have enough to contend with…
Jo xxx
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Hi Lou,
eyebrow pencils - I wouldn’t know where to start drawing them in! I’ll look like a clown - is there not a course or someone at the hospital who teaches you to do this type of thing - I’m going to be wondering around my home town looking like a transvestite!
Jo x
Hi Jo,
Here’s the link to the ‘Look good feel better’ website which you may find helpful.
lookgoodfeelbetter.co.uk/site/index.cfm
You can also give the helpline here a ring and they’ll be able to talk to you about this as well.
Take care,
Jo, Facilitator
If you can’t get to a Look Good, Feel Better Session, either look them up online or order a DVD to help. I normally have very pronounced eyebrows (being interpreted my desert island accessory would be tweezers)and found the moth eaten eyebrows very unsettling, but the LGFB pencil from Lancome was easy to use.And they grow in faster than scalp hair!
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Hi Lou,
thanks for that, you’ve just made me laugh! no mean feat as I’m having a bad day today. I went to the hospital to see homeopath and she got it ALL - I’ve come away with 2 little brown bottles and a little packet - here’s to hoping they help.
I get get the picture of the melted wig out of my mind - I bet she laughed too.
I’m going to be fitted for my wig tomorrow so might call in at the wine shop on the way - never been a big drinker but seem to have drunk more in the last 7-8 weeks than in my life!
I’m wondering if you get buy hairy eyebrows to stick on ? or maybe use a couple of those very hairy caterpillars you see crawling about!
Hooray on the eyelash front!
Jo xxxx
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Hi Lou,
Yes, the homeopath is part of the NHS, our hospital has an Holistic Centre in the same grounds and as a cancer patient you are entitled to homeopathy, aromatherapy, reiki, hypnotherapy, massage and lots of other treatment for free and your main carer (my hubby) is entitled to any 4 treatments for free. I’m having hypnotherapy next Tuesday (day before chemo) as I’m terrified of needles (can’t believe I’ve managed to give birth twice!) and I’ve got my name down for reiki and reflexology.
I’m off to my wig man at 1 today just hope I dont look bloody stupid - I’m always hot anyway so once the treatment starts if the flushes start I’ll be going commando or wearing a scarf or something!
Can you tell me what maggies is, I’ve never heard of it.
I’m still laughing about the wig!
Jo x
Hi Lou,
actually Lou, I’m going insane, its not part of the NHS, its a charity but you are referred there by your onc/breast care nurses. You don’t have to pay for their services but I’m going to give a donation each time I go as I feel I want to.
Jo x