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Tumor Marker question
I have a question about tumor markers. I have been NED for a little over four years. The night before my mastectomy in 2007 the oncologist I was seeing then called me and told me my tumor markers were elevated. We decided to do the surgery anyway. Long story but my staging was completely screwed up by my first oncologist.
I started seeing a new oncologist last year. In December he ran my tumor markers. Ca 125 was a little over 25. He said it was high and he wanted to run them a couple more times every three months before I got my port out. He ran them again in March and June. They are still up, this time, I think to 27.8.
When I spoke to the nurse practitioner she said something about hidden metastases that he had written in my file but had not mentioned to me. When I read about Ca 125 the information I have found suggests that the normal limits are between 1 and 35. I am really confused. I also have irritible bowel disorder and I have read that intestinal inflammatory issues can also cause higher Ca 125 levels.
I have had normal PET scans, MRIs, and mammograms since 2007. How worried should I be?
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In the world of destiny, there are no statistics.
Jan. 26- mammogram and ultrasound- suspicious lump
Mid-February- lumpectomy, infiltrating ductal carcinoma ~4.5 cm and a 1 cm DCIS, did not get clear margins, did not check lymph nodes
ER+/PR+, her2 +++, nuclear grade 3 of 3
February 20-PET scan showed something on liver. No biopsy.
March- Started carboplatin, herceptin, taxol on a four week cycle
May 3- Pet scan, with intent to do a biopsy, found nothing, liver or breast- no biopsy because there is nothing to biopsy
June 21- new onc, very concerned that there had been no biopsy,
June 18th-CAT scan, bone scan-negative
August 7th - Brain MRI-negative
August 9th- mastectomy, all pathology negative
January 2008 still NED! New oncologist -herceptin for full year after chemo- until July, and tamoxifen---negative scans since May '07
July 2008-Finished Herceptin!
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