23 lymph nodes were taken and only one was filled with cancer, :) Thank GOD!!!!!
My breast cancer staging is as follows. I am:
Stage IIB, T2, N1, M0
Estrogen- negative
Progesterone- negative
Her-2-neu- POSITIVE
Stage IIB describes invasive breast cancer in which:
the tumor is larger than 2 but no larger than 5 centimeters (my tumor was about 4.8 cm) and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes (my cancer only spread to one lymph node)
Note****
Doctors use a staging system to determine how far a cancer has spread. The most common system is the TNM staging system. You may hear the cancer described by three characteristics:
size (T stands for tumor)
lymph node involvement (N stands for node)
whether it has metastasized (M stands for metastasis)
I am a T2, N1, M0
T2
The T (size) category describes the original (primary) tumor:
TX means the tumor can't be measured or found.
T0 means there isn't any evidence of the primary tumor
Tis means the cancer is "in situ" (the tumor has not started growing into the breast tissue).
The numbers T1-T4 describe the size and/or how much the cancer has grown into the breast tissue. The higher the T number, the larger the tumor and/or the more it may have grown into the breast tissue
N1
The N (node involvement) category describes whether or not the cancer has reached nearby lymph nodes:
NX means the nearby lymph nodes can't be measured or found.
N0 means nearby
The numbers N1-N3 describe the size, location, and/or the number of lymph nodes involved. The higher the N number, the more the lymph nodes are involved
M0
MX means metastasis can't be measured or found.
M0 means there are no distant metastases.
M1 means that distant metastases were found.
Estrogen and progesterone testing and why
Estrogen and progesterone- Negative
"Hormone receptors are like ears or antennae on a cell. Estrogen sends signals through the receptors that tell breast cancer cells to grow. Cells with estrogen receptors grow and multiply when estrogen attaches to the receptors.
After a breast cancer is removed, the cancer cells are tested to see if they have hormone receptors. If either estrogen or progesterone receptors are present, a response to hormonal therapy is very possible. The more estrogen or progesterone receptors present on those cells, the more likely that hormonal therapy will work against the particular cancer. If high levels of both estrogen and progesterone receptors are present, an even greater response to hormonal therapy is likely.
The other name for hormonal therapy is "anti-estrogen therapy." The goal of therapy is to starve the breast cancer cells of the hormone they thrive on, which is estrogen.
What percentage of breast cancers have hormone receptors?
About 75% of breast cancers are estrogen-receptor-positive ("ER-positive" or "ER+").
About 65% of ER-positive breast cancers are also progesterone-receptor-positive ("PR-positive" or "PR+").
About 25% of breast cancers are ER-negative ("ER–") and PR-negative ("PR–") or of "unknown" status.
About 10% of breast cancers are ER-positive and PR-negative.
About 5% of breast cancers are ER-negative and PR-positive.
If cells have receptors for both hormones OR receptors for one of the two hormones, the cancer is consider hormone-receptor-positive.
In this context, "positive" means that a significant number of cancer cells have receptors in them. "Negative" means that the cells do not have significant numbers of receptors.
The definition of "significant" varies from one hospital or testing center to another. If 5–10% or more of the cells have hormone receptors, that's usually reported as a positive result. But if a report says "negative" or "borderline," it's still important to look at HOW positive the level is. For example, the laboratory may label a 5% level of being positive for hormone receptors as "negative," but even cancers at that level may have a good response to hormonal therapy.
Sometimes, a report will come back from the laboratory saying that the hormone status is "unknown." This may mean one of several things:
The test was never ordered or done.
The sample of tissue that the laboratory received was too small to get reliable results.
Few estrogen and progesterone receptors were present.
If there are no hormone receptors present, or they cannot be measured or seen, or the status is "unknown," the cancer is called hormone-receptor-negative.
How do the hormones work?
Estrogen and progesterone travel through the bloodstream and find their matching receptor sites on both healthy cells and cancer cells. Receptors are very specialized protein molecules that sit on the outside or inside of the cells in your body. They act like an on–off switch for a particular activity in the cell. If the right substance comes along that fits into the receptor—like a key fitting into a lock—the switch is turned on and a particular activity in the cell begins.
Many breast cancers are hormone-dependent—which means that estrogen and progesterone stimulate their growth by "turning on" hormone receptors in the cancer cells. Without these hormones, the cancer cells are not stimulated to grow. They wither, and eventually they may die.
Estrogen and progesterone play roles in the development of certain breast cancers:
Estrogen is a very important "key" for the estrogen-receptor (ER) sites throughout the body AND on some breast cancer cells
Progesterone receptors (PR) can also be involved in turning on breast cancer cell growth
When a cancer shows few or no estrogen receptors (when it is "ER-negative,") hormonal therapy is usually not effective. But if there ARE progesterone receptors, hormonal therapy may sometimes be helpful anyway. Women whose cancers are PR-positive but ER-negative have about a 10% chance of responding to hormonal therapy. If you have an ER-negative breast cancer, you and your doctor should discuss whether the possible benefits of hormonal therapy are worth exploring for YOU." breastcancer.org
What is HER2?
Her-2 neu- POSITIVE
HER2+ Breast Cancer
Studies show that approximately 25% of breast cancer patients have tumors that are HER2+. HER2 stands for Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2. It is very important to find out your cancer's HER2 status. This is because HER2+ tumors tend to grow and spread more quickly than tumors that are not HER2+. In addition, the treatment of HER2+ breast cancer is different than the treatment of breast cancer that is not HER2+. Women who are uncertain of their cancer's HER2 status should talk to their doctor.
HER2+ breast cancer is aggressive!
How is HER2 positive breast cancer different?
HER2 stands for Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2. Each normal breast cell contains copies of the HER2 gene, which helps normal cells grow. The HER2 gene is found in the DNA of a cell, and this gene contains the information for making the HER2 protein.
The HER2 protein, also called the HER2 receptor, is found on the surface of some normal cells in the body. In normal cells, HER2 proteins help send growth signals from outside the cell to the inside of the cell. These signals tell the cell to grow and divide.
In HER2+ breast cancer, the cancer cells have an abnormally high number of HER2 genes per cell. When this happens, too much HER2 protein appears on the surface of these cancer cells. This is called HER2 protein overexpression. Too much HER2 protein is thought to cause cancer cells to grow and divide more quickly. This is why HER2+ breast cancer is considered aggressive.
Higher risk of breast cancer returning (recurrence)
Women with HER2+ breast cancer:
May be less likely to respond to certain breast cancer treatments
May be more likely to have a recurrence (return) of their cancer
Inheriting the HER2 gene
HER2 status is not hereditary. This means that HER2 status is not passed down from your parents, and you can't pass it on to your children. However, there is a relationship between the genes in a person's DNA and breast cancer in general.
HER2/neu-positive, HER2-overexpressing, and HER2+ breast cancer
HER2/neu is another name for HER2, which stands for Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2. HER2-overexpressing means there is too much HER2 protein/receptor on the surface of the cancer cells. HER2/neu-positive breast cancer and HER2-overexpressing breast cancer are exactly the same as HER2+ breast cancer.
References:
1. Slamon DJ, Godolphin W, Jones LA, etal. Studies of the HER-2/neu Proto-oncogene in human breast and ovarian cancer. Science. 1989; 244:707-712.
2. Slamon DJ, Clark GM, Wong SG, Levin WJ, Ullrich A, McGuire WL. Human breast cancer: correlation of relapse and survival with amplification of the HER-2/neuoncogene. Science. 1987; 235: 177-182.
3. Paik S, Hazan R, Fisher ER, etal. Pathologic findings from the national surgical adjuvant breast and bowel project: prognostic significance of erbB-2 protein overexpression in primary breast cancer. J Clin Oncol. 1990; 8:103-112.
4. Pegram M, Slamon D. Biological rationale for HER2/neu(c-erbB2) as a target for monoclonal antibody therapy. Semin Oncol. 2000; 27 (suppl9): 13-19.
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