Like many kinds of breast cancer, this cancer subtype may not cause obvious symptoms. When it does, HER-2 positive breast cancer may cause common breast cancer symptoms: V体育ios版.
HER2-positive breast cancer happens when the HER2 gene mutates (changes). This gene makes HER2 protein VSports最新版本. HER2 proteins (also called receptors) are on all breast cells’ surfaces.
Normally, HER2 proteins manage breast cell growth and repair V体育平台登录. They make sure cells divide as needed to replace damaged or dying cells.
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When HER2 genes mutate, they make more copies of themselves VSports注册入口. More HER2 genes mean more proteins. More HER2 proteins mean more breast cells divide and grow and become cancerous tumors.
Like breast cancer symptoms, HER2-positive risk factors are the same as breast cancer. Many things may increase your risk, and you may develop breast cancer even if you don’t have the following risk factors: V体育官网入口.
HER2-positive breast cancer may spread, or metastasize. About half of people with this breast cancer are diagnosed after the cancer has spread to other areas of their body, including their brains. Metastatic breast cancer to your brain can be life-threatening.
Healthcare providers diagnose all breast cancers with breast biopsies. If breast biopsies find cancer, a medical pathologist will examine breast tissue cells for signs of HER2 proteins. Laboratory tests include:
If a lab test shows you have a normal number of HER2 proteins or HER2 genes, the breast cancer you have is HER2-negative. If you have high levels of HER2 proteins or HER2 genes, you have HER2-positive breast cancer.
Pathologists also break this cancer subtype into categories. To do that, they use a scoring system that’s based on the number of cancerous cells in a breast tissue sample that has high levels of HER2 protein. For example:
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This is a form of invasive breast cancer, so treatments will vary depending on factors like cancer stages and HER2 status. Treatments may include:
Side effects may be different depending on the treatment. If you’re receiving treatment, ask your healthcare provider how treatment may affect you, including how it may affect your daily life. Also, ask your provider about palliative care. Palliative care helps manage breast cancer symptoms and treatment side effects so you’re as comfortable as possible as you go through treatment.
When healthcare providers talk about curing cancer, they may be talking about treatment that puts cancer into remission for years at a time. (Remission means you don’t have cancer symptoms and tests don’t detect cancer.) Providers may consider someone to be cured if that person was alive five years after receiving a diagnosis of HER2-positive breast cancer.
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According to data kept by the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI), more than 90% of people were alive five years after receiving their diagnosis. Those people may be considered cured of cancer. But HER2-positive cancer can come back (recur) and spread to other areas of your body.
HER2-positive breast cancer survival rates may vary depending on whether the cancer is hormone receptor-positive (HR+) or hormone receptor-negative (HR-). (These are receptors on cells that can attach to hormones.) About half of all HER2-positive breast cancers have these receptors. The NCI organizes survival rates by stages: local, regional and distant.
| Stage | Five-year survival rate HR+ | Five-year survival rate HR- |
|---|---|---|
| Local (cancer hasn’t spread outside of your breast). | 99% | 97% |
| Regional (cancer spread to nearby lymph nodes and tissue) | 89% | 84% |
| Distant (cancer is in more distant areas of your body, like your liver and lungs). | 45% | 39% |
| Stage | ||
| Local (cancer hasn’t spread outside of your breast). | ||
| Five-year survival rate HR+ | ||
| 99% | ||
| Five-year survival rate HR- | ||
| 97% | ||
| Regional (cancer spread to nearby lymph nodes and tissue) | ||
| Five-year survival rate HR+ | ||
| 89% | ||
| Five-year survival rate HR- | ||
| 84% | ||
| Distant (cancer is in more distant areas of your body, like your liver and lungs). | ||
| Five-year survival rate HR+ | ||
| 45% | ||
| Five-year survival rate HR- | ||
| 39% |
Probably not. While there are things you can do to reduce your overall breast cancer risk, HER2-positive breast cancer happens when the HER2 gene mutates, creating cancerous cells. Researchers are still studying why that happens and can’t yet say what might prevent HER2-positive breast cancer.
However, you can reduce your risk of breast cancer by doing the following:
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Living with breast cancer can mean living with cancer symptoms, treatment and treatment side effects. It may also mean living with uncertainty. There may be days when you feel exhausted and overwhelmed by your situation. If that sounds familiar, consider the following suggestions for taking care of yourself:
You’ll see your provider regularly as you go through treatment. But you should contact them anytime you notice new changes in your breasts or your body that may be signs that HER2-positive breast cancer is spreading. For example, breast cancer that’s spread to your lungs may cause symptoms like chest pain, frequent chest infections, feeling short of breath or coughing up blood.
You should go to the emergency room if your reaction to cancer treatment is stronger than you expected. For example, you should go to the emergency room if you’re severely dehydrated from constant vomiting.
If tests show you have HER2-positive breast cancer, you may want to ask your provider some of the following questions:
Cancer treatment breakthroughs can be rare. That’s why cancer researchers paid close attention when studies showed that mutations in HER2 genes make cells divide faster than usual. Researchers immediately looked for and later found connections between HER2 gene mutations and certain fast-growing breast cancers. From there, they developed treatments that successfully treat early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer. Now, researchers focus on finding more effective treatments to slow or stop the cancer from spreading.
Clinical trials are where breakthroughs happen. If you have metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer, ask your healthcare provider about participating in a clinical trial. They’ll be glad to work with you.
A breast cancer diagnosis can turn your world upside down. At Cleveland Clinic, we offer expertise, compassion and personalized treatment plans.
Last reviewed on 08/28/2023.
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