Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat???
Posted May 19, 2010 10:24am
Ok, so all this time, I've thought my bc was ER- & PR-. (& HER2+, but that's nothing to do with this post, but Thank You Herceptin!) Anyway, so going over stuff with my oncologist the other day and come to find out, I am ER Neg, but said my PR is "weakly positive" at 9%. BUT, HER2+ and the proliferative index at 81%. So yeah, Been doing Herceptin. (5 more to go! YAY!) Sooooooo, the radiation oncologist seems to think I need to be on Tamoxifen for 5 years. The chemo oncologist feels we've handled my bc with the Herceptin, since it was definitely more driven by the HER2. He said it was going to be my decision on whether or not to take the Tamoxifen.
Hmmmm....what to do, what to do....On the one hand, I'm thinkin, 9%....that's a pretty low number for PR+. Would I really benefit that much? Especially since Tamoxifen really only deals with estrogen...I think...And the side effects on that...OMG...And on the other hand, maybe go ahead & take it, more like an "insurance policy" so to speak...insurance against developing ER/PR+ something down the road? Again the side effects....blood clots, uterine cancer, endometrial cancer, weight gain (OH NO!), hair loss (OH HELL NO!! OMG), hot flashes...full on menopause...which I thought I was already in.
Doc said I could go ahead and start the Tamoxifen and see how I do. Quit taking it if I don't get along with it. I just dunno.
Another option I learned about is ovary suppression with shots...Lupron. And also another drug with that...Femara. No docs have mentioned this to me. Learned about it on a support group forum. But Lupron also has it's own side effects. Not hard core as serious as the Tamoxifen, but still...Plus I hear this is one helluva big needle too. GAH!
I'm also learning that ER- PR+ HER2+ makes up for less than 5% of bc. But of course, this is ME, right? And some think I should have the testing re-done, as there is a good chance this PR+ is a false positive. Ugh. And the nerves I get about retesting....well, just not gonna go there...
So...decisions, decisions...
Things crazier than ever with work. Thinkin that's a good thing right now.
Thanks for checkin on us.
Hmmmm....what to do, what to do....On the one hand, I'm thinkin, 9%....that's a pretty low number for PR+. Would I really benefit that much? Especially since Tamoxifen really only deals with estrogen...I think...And the side effects on that...OMG...And on the other hand, maybe go ahead & take it, more like an "insurance policy" so to speak...insurance against developing ER/PR+ something down the road? Again the side effects....blood clots, uterine cancer, endometrial cancer, weight gain (OH NO!), hair loss (OH HELL NO!! OMG), hot flashes...full on menopause...which I thought I was already in.
Doc said I could go ahead and start the Tamoxifen and see how I do. Quit taking it if I don't get along with it. I just dunno.
Another option I learned about is ovary suppression with shots...Lupron. And also another drug with that...Femara. No docs have mentioned this to me. Learned about it on a support group forum. But Lupron also has it's own side effects. Not hard core as serious as the Tamoxifen, but still...Plus I hear this is one helluva big needle too. GAH!
I'm also learning that ER- PR+ HER2+ makes up for less than 5% of bc. But of course, this is ME, right? And some think I should have the testing re-done, as there is a good chance this PR+ is a false positive. Ugh. And the nerves I get about retesting....well, just not gonna go there...
So...decisions, decisions...
Things crazier than ever with work. Thinkin that's a good thing right now.
Thanks for checkin on us.
No comments:
Post a Comment