 |
04-30-2007, 07:41 AM
|
#1
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 624
|
Tumour Markers
Help, my tumour markers are going up. My CEA's were 1.5 then they went up to 6.8 and then to 12. My doctor has ordered a ct/petscan for Thursday and I am a nervous wreck.
|
|
|
|
04-30-2007, 09:07 AM
|
#2
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 2,357
|
Vanessa, others things can make our markers go up! Mine did that for about 6 weeks about 6 months ago. Here's hoping that your is from some silly something else!!!! Best wishes, ma
__________________
MA in TX.
Grateful for each and every day....
Diag. 12/05 at age 60
Stage II, Grade 3, 4.5 cm primary tumor
ER/PR- Her2 +3 strongly positive
Her2 by FISH 7.7 amplified
vascular invasion
Ki67 20% borderline
Jan - March '06 Taxotere/Adriamycin X 3 to try to shrink tumor - it grew
April '06 Rt Modified Radical Mas, 7 of 9 nodes positive
April - Aug. '06 Herceptin/Taxol/Carboplatin X 8 (dose dense)
Sept - Dec. '06 Navelbine/Herceptin x 8 (dose dense)
Radiation & Herceptin Jan. 22 - March 1, 2007
Finished Herceptin Dec. 10 '08! One extra year.
Port removed August, 2012.
8 1/2 years since diagnosis! 5 1/2 Years NED!
|
|
|
|
|
04-30-2007, 09:16 AM
|
#3
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,519
|
I am glad that your doc pays attention to tumor markers. My rising markers have always corresponded to new activity in each of my 3 recurrances... and we have found all of them very early, giving us more options to knock it back. Not to scare you or suggest that this is the same for you, but I had a bone scan and torso CT in late FEB that showed nothing new. Whew. Then, about a month later, my markers started inching up a bit. Coincidentally, the marker movement was right at the same time that we had decided to do an MRI of a known spot in my neck to measure it (and while we were going to be in the area, I asked the doc to do an MRI of my brain for good measure) - well, that's when we found the 3 small brain mets... which probably explained the rising tumor markers. Then we followed with a PET of the torso which revealed a new left chest spot, very small, that did not show on the CT.
If your body scans don't show anything, it might be a good idea to be a bit more thorough and look at the brain, too. Just for good measure.
And listen to MaryAnne, too - often it is nothing to do with cancer that can make them fluctuate. I might be an anomaly when it comes to tumor markers...
__________________
Brenda
NOV 2012 - 9 yr anniversary
JULY 2012 - 7 yr anniversary stage IV (of 50...)
Nov'03~ dX stage 2B
Dec'03~ Rt side mastectomy, Her2+, ER/PR+, 10 nodes out, one node positive
Jan'04~ Taxotere/Adria/Cytoxan x 6, NED, no Rads, Tamox. 1 year, Arimadex 3 mo., NED 14 mo.
Sept'05~ micro mets lungs/chest nodes/underarm node, Switched to Aromasin, T/C/H x 7, NED 6 months - Herceptin only
Aug'06~ micro mets chest nodes, & bone spot @ C3 neck, Added Taxol to Herceptin
Feb'07~ Genetic testing, BRCA 1&2 neg
Apr'07~ MRI - two 9mm brain mets & 5 punctates, new left chest met, & small increase of bone spot C3 neck, Stopped Aromasin
May'07~ Started Tykerb/Xeloda, no WBR for now
June'07~ MRI - stable brain mets, no new mets, 9mm spots less enhanced, CA15.3 down 45.5 to 9.3 in 10 wks, Ty/Xel working magic!
Aug'07~ MRI - brain mets shrunk half, NO NEW BRAIN METS!!, TMs stable @ 9.2
Oct'07~ PET/CT & MRI show NED
Apr'08~ scans still show NED in the head, small bone spot on right iliac crest (rear pelvic bone)
Sept'08~ MRI shows activity in brain mets, completed 5 fractions/5 consecutive days of IMRT to zap the pesky buggers
Oct'08~ dropped Xeloda, switched to tri-weekly Herceptin in combo with Tykerb, extend to tri-monthly Zometa infusion
Dec'08~ Brain MRI- 4 spots reduced to punctate size, large spot shrunk by 3mm, CT of torso clear/pelvis spot stable
June'09~ new 3-4mm left cerrebellar spot zapped with IMRT targeted rads
Sept'09~ new 6mm & 1 cm spots in pituitary/optic chiasm area. Rx= 25 days of 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the tumors.
Oct'09~ 25 days of low dose 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the bone mets spot on rt. iliac crest that have been watching for 2 years. Added daily Aromasin back into treatment regimen.
Apr'10~ Brain MRI clear! But, see new small spot on adrenal gland. Change from Aromasin back to Tamoxifen.
June'10~ Tumor markers (CA15.3) dropped from 37 to 23 after one month on Tamoxifen. Continue to monitor adrenal gland spot. Remain on Tykerb/Herceptin/Tamoxifen.
Nov'10~ Radiate positive mediastinal node that was pressing on recurrent laryngeal nerve, causing paralyzed larynx and a funny voice.
Jan'11~ MRI shows possible activity or perhaps just scar tissue/necrotic increase on 3 previously treated brain spots and a pituitary spot. 5 days of IMRT on 4 spots.
Feb'11~ Enrolled in T-DM1 EAP in Denver, first treatment March 25, 2011.
Mar'11~ Finally started T-DM1 EAP in Denver at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center/Rose on Mar. 25... hallelujah.
"I would rather be anecdotally alive than statistically dead."
|
|
|
|
|
04-30-2007, 09:35 AM
|
#4
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 624
|
Thanks to both of you for your responses. I think I will also ask for an MRI of the brain. Also, just for some relief, what are some other things that might cause tumour markers to rise. Thanks again.
|
|
|
|
|
05-01-2007, 11:05 AM
|
#5
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 624
|
Just wanted to bump this up and ask again, what other kinds of things might cause tumour markers to rise. Thanks again for input.
|
|
|
|
|
05-01-2007, 11:24 AM
|
#6
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 2,357
|
Vanessa, I tried to find the article that I read recently about the CA27-29 test that I get each month but couldn't find it quickly. Here's what I do remember - it can be effected by kidney disease (I tuned into this because I had kidney disease as a kid and kidney stones in college), too much caffeine, stress and I can't remember the other diseases (not so serious of ones as I remember). I'm so guilty of the caffeine and stress problems and am hoping that is my problem as my markers won't seem to go very low yet after 15 months of treatment!
I had to really search the internet to find good information on CA 27-29, but it did help me get more peaceful about it for now. I know that it may be recurrence, but until I know something for sure, I'm going to believe it's something else for now.
Best of wishes for good news. ma
__________________
MA in TX.
Grateful for each and every day....
Diag. 12/05 at age 60
Stage II, Grade 3, 4.5 cm primary tumor
ER/PR- Her2 +3 strongly positive
Her2 by FISH 7.7 amplified
vascular invasion
Ki67 20% borderline
Jan - March '06 Taxotere/Adriamycin X 3 to try to shrink tumor - it grew
April '06 Rt Modified Radical Mas, 7 of 9 nodes positive
April - Aug. '06 Herceptin/Taxol/Carboplatin X 8 (dose dense)
Sept - Dec. '06 Navelbine/Herceptin x 8 (dose dense)
Radiation & Herceptin Jan. 22 - March 1, 2007
Finished Herceptin Dec. 10 '08! One extra year.
Port removed August, 2012.
8 1/2 years since diagnosis! 5 1/2 Years NED!
|
|
|
|
|
05-01-2007, 02:13 PM
|
#7
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Sheboygan, WI
Posts: 2,582
|
My onc. doesn't do tumor markers, so I'm not quite sure how that all works. But I DO understand the stress of tests and waiting and my heart goes out to you. Here's a hug from Wisconsin just for you and a special prayer said for you for Peace.
Love,
Mary Jo
__________________
"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
Dx. 6/24/05 age 45 Right Breast IDC ER/PR. Neg., - Her2+++ RB Mast. - 7/28/05 - 4 cm. tumor Margins clear - 1 microscopic cell 1 sent. node No Vasucular Invasion 4 DD A/C - 4 DD Taxol & Herceptin 1 full year of Herceptin received every 3 weeks 28 rads prophylactic Mast. 3/2/06
17 Years NED
<>< Romans 8:28
|
|
|
|
|
05-01-2007, 03:14 PM
|
#8
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: South Florida
Posts: 477
|
Hi Vanessa,
I read back through your posts and I saw that you had scans if Feb. It sounds like your doctor is being careful and doesn't want to "guess" whether it is "nothing" and what might be causing the rise in your markers. So now, you are getting scanned again.
I can relate to your concerns. I don't know what to do about the fear I feel when I am told I need scans or during my quarterly scans. It makes me so upset I can hardly get through the day. I recently finished CT and Bone scans that looked good. Then the MRI came back with a questionable area on the spine...then I had slightly elevated markers and a new tiny lump on my neck...now what? More scans...PET and more MRIs. So, I am trying to keep myself out of the funny farm until we figure out what is going on.
I guess that what happens as a Stage 4 BC warrior is that we insist on the best care and being closely monitored. As a result we are aware of every blip on the radar. This is nerve racking but it is a part of staying "on guard". We are warriors and cancer is the enemy. We will not allow it to sneak past us again undetected if we can help it. If and / or when it sneaks back in we will chase it away and beat it back. We hope for false alarms and cry our way through until we have more answers...at least that is what I do. This business is not for the faint of heart.
I wish you peace and good results. You should know soon. You are not alone.
Love, Peace, and Hope,
Carolyns
|
|
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 05:28 AM.
|
Linear Mode
