I'm Not A Doctor, But I Play One on TV

My vast medical knowledge tells me this is good news. I'll have that confirmed by someone with an actual medical degree later this week.

I picked up a copy of the complete pathology report from my biopsy this morning. It shows that the cancer is positive for estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptors. It also shows that it is negative for HER-2.

What does this all mean? This is how breastcancer.org explains it:

• A cancer is called "ER-positive" if it has receptors for the hormone estrogen. It is called "PR-positive" if it has receptors for the hormone progesterone. Breast cells that do not have receptors are "negative" for these hormones. Breast cancers that are either ER-positive or PR-positive, or both, tend to respond well to hormone therapy. These cancers can be treated with medicine that reduces the estrogen in your body. They can also be treated with medicine that keeps estrogen away from the receptors.
• HER-2 is a gene that helps control how cells grow, divide, and repair themselves. About one out of four breast cancers has too many copies of the HER-2 gene. The HER-2 gene directs the production of special proteins, called HER-2 receptors, in cancer cells. Cancers with too many copies of the HER-2 gene or too many HER-2 receptors tend to grow fast. They are also associated with an increased risk of spread.

I meet with the oncologist on Thursday, so she'll explain this all in greater detail and be able to tell us what it really means. I think this opens up a whole new category of treatment called hormone therapy. Some of you may be familiar with the drug Tamoxifen; it fits into this category. But, I'm not a doctor, so we'll just have to wait and see.