Re: ONCOTYPE DX Thanks to Daydream54 from Bohatala

[Guest guest]

Thank you so much for the information.This is very helpful for me.

>

> bohatala --GREAT SCORE A 3 IS FANTASTICE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

>

> I was ER+ PR+ Her2- with no previous chemo.. I did not want to

take the

> Arimidex that the doc was saying I should.. Now I told her that I

will give her

> at least 6 months.. she had to do a lot of coaxing for that..

don't want the

> side effects.. and my copay for that drug after insurance was

$150.00 a month..

> not sure it was worth it.. she has given me a sample of 2 months

for free

> just to get me started.. but I am going to try it after she

explained to me

> all of the reasons

> Now with the test results she says she would not be mad at me if I

chose to

> go off of the drug.. She was very disappointed that I had left her

out of the

> loop since she thought I had already been taking it for the last 3

months..

> I requested a bone density scan to begin with so that I would know

if I was

> already in danger of osteoporosis.. she said it would not protect

me from it..

> but it would not cause it either.. I already have fibromyalgia so

I am no

> stranger to joint and muscle pain.. also diabetes II so numbness

and tingling

> are also with me daily..

> I am changing my diet and trying to eat and shop the parameters

of the

> store for more fresh fruits and veggies and very little processed

food.. and I

> quit smoking now 10 months like they asked...

> So DR Wallach said she would keep a very good eye on me..

>

> Hope this helps... you have to weigh the choices... that is why I

asked for

> the test.. please discuss this with your doctor and let them know

that you

> are doing research and not just following along with the protocol

of standard

> practice.. I had 6 weeks radiation and a double mastectomy for a

tumor that

> was .08cm at the largest and .05cm at the second sight that was

sucked out

> in the needle biopsy... now I have less than 5% breast tissue for

it to return

> locally... but that does not guarantee that it will not return

distantly...

> I had not node involvement.. so I felt I had already hit it with

a sledge

> hammer..and I am 3 years post menopausal..

> Now I am doing research on my reconstruction

>

> please does anyone have experience on DIEP and where and who did

it for

> you... how much scarring... anyone in California can email me at

> _BEEHIVEHOLLOW@..._ (mailto:BEEHIVEHOLLOW@...) WOULD LOVE TO

HEAR

> SOME SUCCESS STORIES BEFORE I LET THE PLASTICE SURGEON PUT IN

IMPLANTS????

>

> Your BC sister

> Cheryl

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/29/2007 10:24:29 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,

bohatala@... writes:

ER+ PR+ Her2-

could someone please explain these to me? i see my oncologist in march but

would rather find out sooner!!!!

thanks,

lorena

[Guest guest]

ER+ PR+ Her2-

could someone please explain these to me? I see my oncologist in march but

would rather find out sooner!!!!

thanks,

lorena

,

Why the delay on interpreting the results with someone?? that seems like a

long time to wait to have someone explain this to you... I would have gone

crazy.. I am so glad I had a good " TEAM " of doctors here in California.. Scripps

is great.. they all coordinate your care.. I would have been lost without

them.. but then I sought them out on the internet and by calling around before

I

did my surgery... I left my little home town here(Scripps is a 2 1/2 hour

drive) because a doctor (surgeon) was only offering surgery and leaving it up

to me to find the other care??

when I found my docs at La Jolla, I had 9 appointments within a week before

I even left her office .. labs xrays, mri, bone scans, radiologist,

oncologist, 2 plastic surgeons, and a genetic counselor.. all within a week of

each

other.. .. My husband calls my surgeon his " Angel in pink Clogs " because she

wrapped her arms around me soo tight that day and I knew I was taken care of...

You can request a copy of your pathology report from the hospital or clinic

where biopsy was done.. you are entitled to it.. check with medical records

department..

Er+ means responds to estrogen 89%

PR+ means responds to progesterone 69%

the + means that they can use tomoxafin(perimenopause) or Aromatase

Inhibitors(post menopause) to treat it..as well as chemo... such as for me

being

post menopausal with a T1b no nodes they can use aromatase inhibitors no

chemo..

to not allow my body to manufacture estrogen in the adrenal glands that feed

the cancer cells.. even though my ovaries have stopped producing large

amounts of estrogen.. being exposed to pesticides, bad foods, smoke, etc can

cause

your body to still make estrogen in the adrenals..

Her2- is a gene that helps cells grow and divide and repair.. About 1 in 4

cancers have too many copies of these HER2 genes.. These cancers tend to grow

fast.. But they can also respond well to anti-HER2 antibody therapy.. There

are 2 tests for HER2.. IHC immunohistochemisty.. and a FISH ... mine was

negative if it had been positive they may have tried a therapy of Herceptin for

me..

I received a brochure from BreastCancer.org (your guide to breast cancer

pathology report) that tells me how to interpret my pathology report which I

requested to have from my surgeon and from the medical records department of

the

hospital and I also requested the pathology report from the radiology clinic

that did my needle biopsy that found the cancer.. and then I can discuss

the results with some knowledge with my doctors..

I think they wanted me to mail back the survey that was on the back of the

form to them??

Hope this helps... like I said before... thank goodness for the Internet..

Knowledge is power..

Cheryl