Anya Silver has been an inspiration to me since I first got to know her on-line when she was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer. In the support groups we are members of, she shares her experiences with courage, humor, and honesty. You may have also met her and her husband Andrew in a HealthCentral video about finding out... Read more
In 1985 scientists discovered a gene that makes cells produce too much of a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2) and found that this gene was associated with aggressive breast cancer tumors. Thirteen years later in 1998, the FDA approved a new drug called trastuzumab (Herceptin) for people whose breast cancers... Read more
What is the day of diagnosis? The day the doctor scheduled a biopsy, the day the pathology report comes back? In my case, the process was spread out over several days. The preliminary report for my April 12 biopsy came back that everything was OK.
Then on my 50th birthday, April 20, 1998, I found out that the pathologists... Read more
As awareness of triple negative breast cancer has grown, so has the fear associated with it. Women whose tumors are hormone receptor positive can take follow-up drugs like tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors after initial treatment. If the tumor is Her2neu positive, they receive targeted therapies like Herceptin. So part of... Read more
Before I had cancer, my major health concern was heart disease. All four of my grandparents died of heart failure. My father was still in his 60’s when he had a heart attack and by-pass surgery.
My annual physical exams with my doctor focused on what I needed to do to keep my heart healthy. Cancer was the least of... Read more
