I have just come back from an appointment with the surgeon prior to my surgery next Tuesday.
The appointment went well and he answered all of my questions from the stupid to the ridiculous. He was lovely.
1 question though. I wasnt expecting the answers to the following until after my surgery and as I’m dealing with things as and when I need to I havent done much research in to this subject. He said my BC was ER Positive and Her2 Negative. What in laymans terms does this mean and is it bad?
Bumping for you, as its the bit I have never understood, except that I think HER2 neg means you wont need Herceptin? Hope I’ve got that right…
All the best with your surgery next week xxx
The following link will take you to the BCC ‘Understanding your pathology report’ publication which will help you to understand the terms you mention, if you have any other queries please do call our helpliners, they are on 0808 800 6000 weekdays 9-5 and Sat 10-2
No, dont think its bad, mine was Her2 neg, and I am NED now (No Evidence of Disease)
I was also slightly ER positive and now take Arimidex/Anastrozole, which is an eostrogen blocker for a total of 5 years. This is for post-menopausal women. Younger/premenopausal women usually get Tamoxifen.
Hope that has helped set your mind at ease,
Good luck Funki xxxx
Hi Funki, no- it’s not bad, its good - in simple terms it shows which further treatments you would benefit from, ER positive means hormone treatment such as Tamoxifen could benefit you, and HER neg means herceptin wouldn’t offer you any benefits so you won’t be given it. At least, that’s what they told me (same results as you, snap…)
Hi Funkilala,
I am Her+ and I believe it is a more aggressive cancer but Herceptin levels the playing field as it were. Also ER+ so having Letrezole for 5 years as I am post-menopausal. Basically when I finish Herceptin I’ll be pretty much the same as you, as I understand it.
Try not to worry about it and you could phone your BCN and ask her what it means for you.
That’s actually good news because it means that your cancer will probably respond well to hormone blocking therapy - in other words tamoxifen or letrozole, etc, depending on your menopausal status. The more difficult cancers to treat seem to be the ones that aren’t er+ and therefore won’t respond to the hormone treatments.
Hormone therapy is usually pills for 5 years or more and brings with it all the joys of hot flushes and various other fun side effects, but hey, if it keeps us safe, hot flushes are generally manageable.
Thank you Butterfly 61 and CC
I had a hysterectomy about 15 years ago but I still have my ovaries so they are going to check if I’m Post menopausal or not as I dont know. I have never been the same since I had the Hysterectomy so wouldn’t know if I have had my menopause or not.
Morning Funki! I was dx in jan, so far I’ve had chemo (FEC T and Avastin) to shrink a large tumour, mx with implant recon, started Tamoxifen and am just over half way through rads. Apart from feeling tired and tight in my arm pit (SEs of rads) I’m feeling really well. Sometimes I go and sit on the ‘crazy sobbing lady’ bench on the Benchland thread and quite often I’m drinking gin in the bar on the Dark, Dark Woods thread…but apart from that I’m doing well, I think!
Are you all sorted for surgery next week? Don’t forget your slippers… xxx
Hi Funki
A breast cancer is ER+ if the breast cancer cells feed on oestrogen. Oestrogen is produced in breast tissue, ovaries and in much lessee quatnyities in certain other areas of our bodies. Many BCs are ER+, don’t worry about it being something odd.
If you have an ER+ BC then after surgery (and chemo and radiotherapy if you need any of those) you will benefit from taking medicines that stop any stray cancer cells that have not been killed by the initial treatment and may still be lurking in odd places in your body from starting to multiply. Your oncology team will advise and prescribe any that you need. Which ones they schmooze will depend wether ether you have gone through the menopause or not, i.e. whether your ovaries still produce oestrogen or not.
If you have not yet gone through the menopause, then you may be given Tamoxifen for some time (often 5 years). This is taken as a daily pill. The tamoxifen will attach to the stray cancer cells, and stop oestrogen attaching itself to those cells. The stray cancer cells, lacking oestrogen to boost them, will then be much less likely to multiply, and hopefully die and cause you no harm. That’s good news. There are many many people who very successfully take tamoxifen for this.
If you have gone through the menopause, then you may instead be given a drug called an aromatose inhibitor for a number of years. Again often 5 years, but it can be longer or shorter. This can be daily pill. This drug stops your body from producing oestrogen, so ensuring that any stray cancer cell does not start multiplying as they lack oestrogen to boost them. It can only be used if your ovaries are not working any more (if they still do, then they still produce oestrogen, which the aromatise inhibitor cannot stop them from making).
Sometimes people will take tamoxifen for a while, and then move on to an aromatise inhibitor when it is clear they have gone through the menopause. Both are seen as very effective.
Is being er+ good or bad? I don’t know. I am er+. I am happy I am, as I can take these extra medicines, and they give me added protection I took tamoxifen to start with, and then when I had a second primary BC (very unusual) that was er+ too, I had my ovaries removed so I could move on to the aromatise inhibitor. There are a number is types of that drug. I am on letrozole. A daily pill.
Like you I am Her negative. If you were her+ you would be given another drug called herceptin for a year or so. It is just medicine that can help destroy a cancer. But you don’t have to worry about that, because your cancer is not one that would react to that drug.
well, I hope at this helps you a bit.
One thing that is really very good is that you get on well with your surgeon, and that you can ask whatever you want - that is really excellent.
After your surgery they will confirm again the status ER+ and Her- of your cancer, as then they will have examined in more detail the tissue that they will have removed.
Wishing you every bit if success with your surgery and what lies beyond.
Christine
Hello Ali H!
I will probably be joining you on one of those benches as time goes by.
By the sounds of things you are doing really well and that’s brillaint!
Yes, I’m all ready for my Surgery next Tuesday and My husband has just bought me new slippers bless him.
Best wishes
Funki X
Thank you so much for taking the time to write that post out. I have learnt a lot from it and after reading all the replies I feel much better today.
Best wishes
Funki x
New slippers, aww bless him! On one of the threads on here in the summer there was a question about what to take in to hospital, slippers featured a lot! One lady said she took a soft, lightweight fleece blanket to cover her , as it felt nicer than the sheets… Must admit to a little envy at that!
xxx