Better Living Through Chemicals (aka the results from my visit with the medical oncologist)

Considering that I have cancer, the news since diagnosis has been relatively good: stage 1, no spread to the lymph nodes and the cancer cells were estrogen and progesterone receptor positive. (That may not sound good to you, but it is in a targeted treatment sort of way). The standard course of treatment for all of that would be radiation and hormone therapy for five years. Not too bad. 

The only wrench in my diagnosis was that I was three for three on the receptor front.  I also tested positive for another receptor called HER2 – the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2.  When HER2 is overproduced it promotes the growth of cancer cells.  It does not respond to the hormone therapy -- or radiation, for that matter.  HER2 positive cancer requires a more aggressive treatment.  So, despite much wishful thinking, I will be joining the ranks of those bound for chemotherapy.  The downsides are fatigue and hair loss.  The upsides, besides helping to keep further cancer at bay, are that they have much better drugs to combat nausea than they used to and I will save money for at least four months, probably more, since I will not need to pay for haircuts.  There is almost always some silver lining, if you look hard enough! 

I’m off to the radiation oncologist tomorrow, and will report on that visit, although radiation therapy won’t happen until the standard course of chemo is completed.