Normal CA 27-29 results...what does this mean

Ok, so does a CA 27-29 result within the normal range of 0-38 mean that the cancer cells are being kept under control?

If the result is in the normal range, would that mean you are NED?

Can you have a normal range result, yet still have mets tumors?

Anybody have any input on this? I've been wondering about this for a while.

[StephN]

Hi Esther -
How was the trip??

The answer is YES to all three of your questions.
If you have had high tumor marker numbers with mets and the number has fallen with apparent NED status, then you are one who should be able to use that marker number as an indicator of your mets status.

My understanding is if the marker test picks up tumor activity and registers in the high end of normal, that may mean that some cells are being registered, but probably only micomets that your body and the Herceptin should control.

Some women here have reported mets in nodes that had CA27-29 or 15-3 in normal range. You may be able to do a search and find those threads from a while back.

Glad things are going SO well for you now.

Hi, this is a VERY FAVORITE TOPIC of mine that many here know I harp on...I have been using the CA 27/29 and the serial serum Her-2 markers for many years as biofeedback to the amount of herceptin I take and when. This is JUST my experience, but for the record....just keeping the CA 27/29 in the "NORMAL" range is NOT GOOD ENOUGH if you have or have ever had any HER-2 involvement. What you need to do is start charting both numbers on a regular basis (most labs like Quest or Labcorp will even make a charted graph of the numbers for you.) Again, it has been my experience that even when the CA 27/29 is as low as 17, the serum her-2 can be slightly elevated. Repeatedly (in YEARS worth of data and innumerable blood tests), only when my CA 27/29 is 10 or LESS!!! is my serum Her-2 in the normal range...INTERESTING...as long as the serum her-2 is high...you have activitity somewhere...often in a place that even a PET or other scan may not be able to register...AGAIN, this is JUST my experience...but I would love to hear from other folks out there who do take their numbers regularly while on Herceptin and see what THEIR experiences have been. Best to you, Gina