pCR for HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer

lilych

One of the MOs once mentioned that for HER2+ cancer after NAC, the pCR rate for ER+ is much lower than that for ER- (~30% vs ~70%?). Wondering if that is the case, would you mind sharing your ER status (and number) for those of you who did or did not achieve pCR?

LilyCh: No pCR, ER+(70%)PR+(70)HER2+

My question is, if it is harder for ER+ to achieve pCR, why not add hormonal therapy during the NAC?

Sunocean

hi. I achieved pcr. But I'm ER and Pr negative.

rozem

hi there.

I had PCR and was highly ER and PR positive. I believe over 90% ( it’s been almost 8 years so the % are a bit fuzzy!)

I was told that this was more common with hormone Neg Her2 positive cancers. Perhaps my grade 3 cancer behaved more like hormone negative and responded very well to chemo

Gudrun

Dear Lily,

my daughter didn't achieve pcr either. I feel your disappointment. Her tumor was also highly ER and PR positive. Her Ki67 had fallen from 20% to 2%, which she was told was an excellent predictive indicator.

best wishes, G

missouricatlady

I achieved pcr. I am ER positive PR negative.

el7277

I am 40 % Er + and did not achieve pCR although my MO and BS could not feel any palpable mass. I had residual cancer in the tumor bed. My tumor was 1.7 cm and I had 7 mm of residual disease. I am low Ki67 and 5% PR +.

I had bmx and am going for second round of Kadcyla tomorrrow.

WC3

LilyCh:

My cancer was 90% ER+/PR+ and I had a pCR but still had DCIS remaining.

Hurcheon

I acheived pCR was Stage 3c and Pr and Er+ (7/8).

rajae

LilyCh

hi! i had the same question as you. did you have an answer?

lilych

rajae, I did ask the MO and she said hormonal therapy will interfere chemo and they should not be used together.

kimm992

I am hormone negative and had an ALMOST pCR. The surgeon found only tiny "spatters" of cancer cells left at time of surgery which he said was a good indicator that the chemo did it's work.

Honeybee68

I am ER/PR negative and HER2 positive, Stage IV. I achieved a PCR. I had a lumpectomy and 6 lymph nodes removed. The surgeon said there were no cancer cells remaining when they looked at the specimens under the microscope. The two liver mets shrunk and what is left they believe is scar tissue because they don't take up any of the radioactive sugar on PET scan.

IdRatherBeBoatin

I achieved pCR after TCHP chemo. I was stage 2A, no node involvement. Did a BMx with expanders. Exchange surgery next month. Glad to be on the down slope!

margun

LdRather- if you have no lymph nod involvement then you are not having radiotherapy?

InfusionConfusion

I had a 10cm tumor (estimated from MRI) and some lymph nodes affected. I was also ER+/PR+ - both over 90% and HER2+. The TCHP chemo reduced the tumor down to 2mm and there was only one isolated tumor cell found in a lymph node. So my doctor treated me as if I'd had a PCR. You can see my details but it was lobular cancer, originally graded as 1 yet HER2+ status meant they kept referring to it as aggressive.