Is it better to be her 2 positive or her2 negative?

Her2 positive: Breast cancer is broken into 4 types - each involves the presence or absence of estrogen, progesterone, and her 2 receptors: luminal a (er/pr positive, her 2 negative), luminal b (er/pr positive, her 2 positive), her 2 (er/pr negative, her 2 positive), triple-negative (er/pr negative, her 2 negative). Patients who are her 2 positive herceptin, (trastuzumab) a powerful drug that greatly improves survival.

Her2 neg: Her2 (+) cancers tend to be more aggressive. Although targeted therapy w herceptin, (trastuzumab) given along w chemotherapy, then on its own for one year, has improved survival, it is still a more aggressive sub-type of breast cancer.

I'd rather be pos!: Her2 positive breast cancer used to be the worst type, and now it is probably the best type. That's because there are several excellent targeted therapies to effectively treat Her2 positive cancer if it comes back. My patients with metastatic breast cancer who are Her2 positive have the longest lifespans. And I'm happy when their cancer is Her2 positive.