Hello
I received a letter from Radiotherapy Consultant, it included a histology type summary.
I knew at the beginning I was borderline HER2 positive/negative, and that they ran a D-Dish test to determine which. What I don’t recognised is the term HER2-ve. What does the “ve” stand for? Is it just an extended form of HER2- or does it have another meaning?
I overheard about having LVI, now I’m wondering if this is another snippet of info that’s not been mentioned.
Thanks
Hi @sal1
-ve = negative. HER2 negative means that your breast cancer does not have abnormal levels of the HER2 protein.
Have you had a lymph node biopsy as LVI would suggest the biopsy found cancer cells in your lymph nodes?
All of this information, oncology will use to determine the best treatment for you.
Do you have a breast care nurse that can support you in understanding your results?
I have found this forum invaluable for understanding my treatment plan better.
I hope all goes well with your treatment x
Hi
I don’t know for certain but my understanding would be that it means her negative. I think it’s an abbreviation her-ve I would assume positive would be her+ive.
Just my assumption not fact.
Good luck with everything. X
H sal1,
Being HER2 negative means that the her2 drugs won’t benefit your cancer. Her2 I believe is a protein which helps the cancer to proliferate. I also had a fish test which is given to women who are ihc +2. If you are ihc+3 you are said to be her2 positive and the her2 drugs have a good cancer of killing your cancer. However if you are IHC+2 you are classed as borderline therefore a fish test is done and if that comes back unequivocal you are classed as her2 negative as the drugs won’t benefit you.
Being ihc +1 or ihc+2 is classed as her2 low. Presently there is a lot of interest in this type of breast cancer, which is usually strongly ER positive, as a new class of drugs has been shown to be beneficial on women who have her2 low metastatic breast cancer (The Destiny trial). As with many drugs they are first used in the metastatic setting and I believe they are ongoing trials to see if these drugs will benefit women who have primary breast cancer. These trials take years. In this country the drug ENHERTU has not been approved by NICE and women with metastatic her2 low breast cancer can’t benefit from this new drug as it is said to be too expensive.
I didn’t know anything about breast cancer prior to my diagnosis but I do have some education in research and having her2 low breast cancer I have investigated this cancer. I apologise if my understanding of this situation has its facts confused but this is my understanding.
Thank you lovely ladies for your replies.
Sorry I didn’t explain, I’m actually at the end of my treatment. I am aware of what HER2- means……but I’ve not seen it with the “ve” added to the end. So that’s got me wondering if there is any significance to it.
@warrior1 regarding the LVI. Bit of a sore subject, it was not discussed with me, I overheard it when a temp consultant was dictating notes, before I had radiotherapy. Lymph nodes were clear. I questioned her about spread when chemo was refused. Apparently (my interpretation) they are not interested in LVI when making these decisions, probably not in the “official guide lines”. Which is both frustrating and upsetting when there is research and evidence about its ability to spread.
So I take hormone tablets for years to keep any rouge cells dormant, and hope when I finish taking them there are no cells waiting to “wake up”.
It never ends!
Hi sal1
Thank you for you post.
The information you receive about your pathology after a consultation can be confusing and lead to more questions.
As @warrior1 has stated the term -ve means negative, as +ve would mean positive and is an alternative way to writing Her2-(ve).
Lympho-vascular invasion (LVI) is when the cancer has spread into the lymph and blood vessels it is not to do with cancer cells in the lymph nodes. LVI is found by pathologists when they look under the microscope.
Your treatment is tailored to your individual situation, and whether you are offered chemotherapy depends on a number of factors including the grade, size and stage of your cancer. It might help to know that treatment recommendations are agreed by a multi-disciplinary team.
As @warrior1 says it would be helpful to talk through letter you received from your consultant to understand your pathology fully because it can be a lot to take in and be confusing as mentioned earlier.
As you have now completed your treatment we have a range of free supportive services for anyone who has had a diagnosis of breast cancer which you may be interested in. They include face to face and online courses and events. You may find our Moving Forward resources helpful, they are for people who have had a diagnosis of primary breast cancer and have come to the end of their main hospital treatment within the last 2 years. They include our Moving Forward booklet and Moving Forward courses.
Do call our helpline if you would like to talk this through or have any further questions. The helpline team have time to listen, talk things through and signpost you to additional support and information if necessary. Your call will be confidential, and the number is free from UK landlines and all mobile networks.
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Helen
Breast Care Nurse
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