What to Expect After a HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer Diagnosis

glamour.com:

(sometimes called “HER2+ MBC” or “HER2+ breast cancer”) can feel like riding a roller coaster. Amid the initial shock and fear that accompanies any cancer diagnosis, there’s another low that comes when your oncologist tells you that this specific type of breast cancer tends to be aggressive and spread quickly.

The reason lies in the “HER2-positive” part of its name: That term indicates that your breast cells have an excess of proteins called HER2 (short for “human epidermal growth factor receptor 2”), which are in charge of cell growth and division—and, of course, cells growing and diving too quickly is what leads to tumors.That said, the real stomach-dropping, devastating moment is being told that your HER2-positive breast cancer is , also known as MBC, stage IV, or advanced breast cancer.

This means the disease has already spread significantly—beyond the breast to other parts of the body, such as your bones, brain, or other organs.

Unlike early-stage cancer, metastatic breast cancer can’t be cured—regardless of HER2 status (whether you’re HER2 positive or HER2 negative).