Tumor Marker Ca 27 29

[HavahJ]

I have been reading this board for a long time, but I just got enough courage to register. I'm climbing the walls about the ca 27 29. I have IIA, which is a new contralateral tumor after 13 years. I had mastectomy, all the chemo and 1 year of herceptin that ended in August. The tumor was small, 1 node ER/PR pos, her 3+. I also have a complicating factor of multiple sclerosis! That's the short short story. Anyway, since herceptin I've had 3 ca27/29. The first was 13, then 17, then 25. I can't get retested until next week and being alone here, all I do is cry and worry that it must mean I have a recurrence. Can anyone else tell me their experiences with CA27/29? Hearing other peoples' experience is the only thin that calms me down. Thank you P.S. Does anyone know if having a flu shot right before the test would change anything?

[Barbara]

Havah2I understand your state of mind. My CA 27-29 jumps around also. The highest it has reached is 26. My last scare was this fall. My CA 27-29 was 10 In June, 10 in July, 13 in August and 13 in September and then in October is was 20 and I was scared. I asked for a HER2 blood test and it was 5.5 on a scale of 5.1-13 so I felt better and then in November my CA 27-29 was back to 9, a all time low. So don't panic yet. It may be OK. You may want to ask your oncologist to run the ELISA HER2 blood test as some studies have shown it to be the most sensitve rising an average of nine months before mets are clinically present. My oncologist will run any test I ask for to give me peace of mind.

Barb

My CA 27.29 consistently runs in the mid 30's. I saw my oncologist in November and it was up to 35.6. He doesn't seem to concerned. He stated alot of MD's don't even to tumor marker testing. I have been having sciatic pain. Also pain in my groin/hip area. Keeps me awake at night. Bothers me when I sit, lay or stand. I see my oncologist again in February.

[Julie2]

I do get Her2 ELISA too ,it is been around 6.3 - 7 since 6 months. Sure it gives peace of mind. The CA27-29 is very sensitive to any infection or injury.

Julie

[Gina]

taken together with the serum her-2 test, for best interpretation. Also, for folks with KNOWN mets and who take herceptin regularly...remember, that many times the numbers will rise up to a certain level..only to be knocked down by the herceptin so the TIMING of when these tests are taken is crucial. Usually, just after treatment the numbers will be low, but if you are someone who may be prone to mets, once treatment stops the numbers may continue to rise and rise until you get some herceptin in you. But I have watched in myself and seen others bring CA 27/29 levels down themselves, merely by using dietary and supplemental remedies...as long as the numbers don't get over 40. Real Olive leaf, olive oil and lots of pure magnesium, vitamin A and Vitamin D as in fish oil and GLA (for some types of her-2 folks) are all very synergistic at helping to pull that CA 27/29 down and in so doing keep the serum her-2 low. In my experience...years of measuring these numbers and living with active mets..., when the numbers are low (CA 27/29 less than 15) (serum her-2 in single digits), mets can be thwarted and controlled. When the numbers are allowed to go way out of range..one is just asking for unwanted trouble...I don't say this to frighten anyone, just to TALK PLAIN...as I do not want what happened to me to happen to anyone else...that is the point.

Best wishes,
Gina

Single digit her-2 numbers are AOK..way to go...in my experience, when the CA 27/29 is over 75, you have serious problems, especially if your serum her-2 by then is over 150, fyi.