help! tumor markers rising on xeloda -- what now?

[Pam P]

I have been dealing with bone mets for about 4 yrs. I started xeloda 8/05. Then my ca2729 was about 150. PET showed lots of activity in ribs & vertebrae. By Dec. the PET was much improved, some spots gone, others much better. . My ca2729 has been rising the last couple months. In Dec. it was down to 42, then it was 50, then 55, now my tumor marker is up even from from 3 weeks ago -- now it's 64. I saw the doc yesterday. I am increasing my dosage of xeloda for one cycle to see if that makes a difference, will retest the marker again on 3/20, have scans on 3/23 & see the doc again on 3/27. Damn, if it's growing again & this drug is no longer useful, I dread what's next.

I know the ca2729 is not perfect, but here's a definite trend upward. I have felt so good on the xeloda - it's been such a manageable one for me unlike all the others I've been on (see below).

I'm so afraid again -- another chemo that's only working short term? where is the cancer now? what next?

Dx 6/13/01 – inflammatory bc
6-13-01 –mastectomy

7 – 12 /01 6 months of chemo: 4 treatments A/C; 4 treatments taxol

1/02 - 30 radiation treatments

2/02 – 9/02 – tomoxifen

9/02 – bone mets dx

9-12/02 – femara

1/03 – 6/03 – taxotere & herceptin & aredia

6/03-12/03 – faxlodex & zometa

1 – 04 - 12/04 - navelbine, herceptin, zometa

1-05 – 7-05 herceptin, zometa
8-05 – present – xeloda, zometa, herceptin

[Shell]

Pam-


I don't know what is next for you (I am currently on xeloda), but I wanted to send good thoughts your way. My friend describes her options for treatment as a magician saying he's gots lots in his bag of tricks...and that hopefully the next treatment will be the successful one!!)

regards,
Shell

[Kim in CA]

Pam,

I sure hope a little extra Xeloda does the trick. Dam those tumor markers. Love em and hate em. I hate to worry about them all the time, but then again we can't afford not to pay attention to them. Hopefully a temporary increased dose will get things back in the normal range.

My Best to You, Kim in CA

[Sandy H]

Pam welcome to this site. You will find much inspiration here as well as good info. Inflammatory is a tough one as everyone is different My oncologist keeps saying its a chronic illness we live with. I have had it for 5 years and am doing well. I only have skin mets. One has to keep trying combos as inflammatory can turn resistant to drugs. Tumor markers aren't always accurate-they do not work on me with just skin mets so we don't do them anymore. In your case its probably a good thing to watch them until you get a pattern that works for you. I get scanned faithfully, every 6 months per orders of my oncologist. Don't get discouraged. If you want an IBC sister to help you I will be that sister. We can e-mail personally. There are a few on this board that are IBC and everyone is Her2 positive. Only 2 to 3% are IBC so we are few and far between. I am always looking for IBC'ers to share info with. You probably will hear from others with IBC here. I wish you well. My e-mail is sanhenry@prexar.com hugs Sandy

[julierene]

I'm not sure I really understand tumor markers.


1/04 - dx stage 2a, 0 lymph nodes, 2cm, er/pr-, her2+++, grade 3
12/05 - dx stage 4, bone (4 spots on spine and 1 on femur) and liver mets (2 tumors less than 2cm each)
12/05 - weekly herceptin/taxol/carboplatin (3 weeks on, 1 week off with a 4mg Herceptin loading dose)
2/06 - finally got Onc to do CA27/29 markers. He said they wouldn't be useful. My marker was:

15.2 (with top limit of 35 for being normal)

Why are my tumor markers normal???????????