Inflammatory Breast Cancer-Her2/neu overexpressed

My wife was diagnosed with inlammatory breast cancer on June 5, 2002. She had 3 treatments of adriamycin and cytoxan and 1 of doxil and taxotere to date.  She was given a FISH test which showed that she did have and overexpression of Her2/neu.  When we began treatment on June 5(the same day as diagnosis was given to us) the tumor was about 5 cm. It still is about 5 cm.  She began Herceptin yesterday.  Based on the results so far do we have a lot to worry about or are chemo resistant tumors like this fairly normal in inflammatory breast cancers?

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear bear601:  Inflammatory breast cancer can be a difficult cancer to treat.  Chemoresistance can be a problem but it is concerning that she had no apparent response to adriamycin/cytoxan.  Hopefully, this new regimen, along with the herceptin, will yield better results.  Sometimes tumors behave unusually and a different combination will have better results.

[connie_p]

There's a site for IBC info & support. It's: http://www.ibcsupport.org Wishing the very best for your wife! >Connie