Sounds FISH-Y to me

Today I received a call from my nurse navigator (an oncology nurse assigned to me during all of my Cancer surgeries, treatments, etc. She told me a little bit of good news involving my recent FISH test. The FISH test (Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization) is a test that “maps” the genetic material in a person’s cells. This test can be used to visualize specific genes or portions of genes. FISH testing is done on breast cancer tissue removed during biopsy to see if the cells have extra copies of the HER2 gene. The more copies of the HER2 gene that are present, the more HER2 receptors the cells have. These HER2 receptors receive signals that stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells.
The FISH test results will tell you that the cancer is either “positive” or “negative” for Her2/neu.

HER2/neu (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2), is a protein that appears on the surface of some breast cancer cells. It is an important part of the cellular pathway for growth and survival.

• HER2/neu-positive (HER2+) tumors have many HER2/neu genes inside the cancer cells (also called HER2/neu over-expression) and a large amount of HER2/neu protein on the surface of the cancer cells
• HER2/neu-negative (HER2-) tumors have few HER2/neu genes inside the cancer cells and little or no HER2/neu protein on the surface of the cancer cells

About 15 to 20 percent of breast cancers are HER2+. These breast cancers tend to be more aggressive than other tumors. HER2/neu status helps guide your treatment plan. My tumor is Her2/neu negative which is good news because it means that my tumor has fewer HER2/neu genes inside of it and the cancer is less aggressive than those that are HER2/neu positive! YAY FOR ME!!! (it's a small celebration but I'll take any I can get at this point!)

I also received the report on my hormone receptor status. Hormone receptors are proteins found inside some cancer cells. When hormones (estrogen and progesterone) attach to these receptors, they make the cancer cells grow.

• Estrogen and progesterone receptor-positive (ER+ and PR+) tumors have many hormone receptors
• Estrogen and progesterone receptor-negative (ER- and PR-) tumors have few or no hormone receptors

The hormone receptor status guides the treatment plan. My tumor is ER+ and PR+, (estrogen and progesterone positive which means those hormones stimulate the Cancer and cause it to grow.) Doctors need to know what stimulates the tumor to grow so they can interrupt the stimulants by using hormone therapies, such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors, chemotherapy, and radiation.

I won't know my exact course of treatment until the surgery is performed and the lymph node biopsies come back from pathology. But thankfully we have these various tests and tools to help the doctors know best how to fight my individual Cancer cells.

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